Global Goal to Reduce Measles Deaths in Children Surpassed
- Posted on 19 January 2007
Measles deaths have fallen by 60 per cent worldwide since 1999. The United Nations see this as a major public health success as this exceeds their goal to halve measles deaths between 1999 and 2005.
Success is largely due to an unprecedented decline in measles deaths in the African region. The progress was announced by partners in the Measles Initiative: the American Red Cross, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO).
New data from WHO reported global measles deaths fell from an estimated 873,000 deaths in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005. In Africa, the progress has been even greater, with measles deaths falling by 75 per cent, from an estimated 506,000 to 126,000.
A strategy to reduce measles mortality, consisting of four components, has been key to ensuring the massive global decrease in measles deaths.
The strategy calls for the provision of one dose of measles vaccine for all infants via routine health services; a second opportunity for measles immunization for all children, generally through mass vaccination campaigns; effective surveillance for measles; and enhanced care, including the provision of supplemental vitamin A.
As a result of this strategy, between 1999 and 2005, global measles immunization coverage with the first routine dose increased from 71 percent to 77 per cent, and more than 360 million children aged nine months to 15 years received measles vaccine through immunization campaigns.
Accelerated measles control activities are contributing to the development of health infrastructure to support routine immunization and other health services through promotion of safe injection practices, increased 'cold chain' capacity for vaccines storage, and the development of a global public health laboratory network.
The challenge now is to reach a new global goal: the reduction of global measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010, compared to 2000 levels.
