The measles is an extremely contagious viral disease that mainly affects children. The World Health Organization (WHO) has set itself the goal of reducing the number of deaths from this disease by 95% by 2015 and achieving elimination in at least five regions (African, Asian Southeast, European, Eastern Mediterranean, Western Pacific) by 2020. New estimates mortality are encouraging: the death rate fell by 78% from more than 562,000 in 2000 to 122,000 in 2012.
The WHO states that “these advances are the result of global coverage by the vaccination routine measles vaccine remained constant at 84% and by the routine introduction in 145 countries of a second dose of measles vaccine to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks.”
Continue the efforts
The number of deaths avoided thanks to vaccination between 2000 and 2012 would amount to 13.8 million. Thanks to the measles and rubella initiative, 145 million children were vaccinated worldwide during mass campaigns in 2010.
Despite these good results, the road to the eradication of the disease remains long and uneven. Measles is still a global threat, recalls the WHO, and five regions are experiencing significant outbreaks. Only the Region of the Americas has managed to eliminate disease.
To contain outbreaks while improving routine coverage and mounting quality immunization campaigns, WHO calls on affected countries to “give high priority to elimination goals and invest heavily in improving health systems.”
