A measles epidemic has been declared in Etoumbi, 700 km north of Brazzaville, capital of Republic of Congo, with 32 cases registered so far, Bernard Mantele, the office director of the Congolese Ministry of Health, told IRIN last Thursday. "The epidemic was confirmed by local health authorities. The Ministry of Health would have sent an emergency medical team earlier, but we did not have the necessary resources," Mantele said. "Nevertheless, a team of doctors left Brazzaville on Wednesday and are on the ground working to stop the epidemic."