Progress Toward Measles Elimination - South-East Asia Region, 2003-2013

Abstract

In 2013, the 66th session of the Regional Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region adopted the goal of measles elimination and rubella and congenital rubella syndrome control by 2020 after rigorous prior consultations. The recommended strategies include 1) achieving and maintaining ≥95% coverage with 2 doses of measles- and rubella-containing vaccine in every district through routine or supplementary immunization activities (SIAs); 2) developing and sustaining a sensitive and timely case-based measles surveillance system that meets recommended performance indicators; 3) developing and maintaining an accredited measles laboratory network; and 4) achieving timely identification, investigation, and response to measles outbreaks. This report updates previous reports and summarizes progress toward measles elimination in the South-East Asia Region during 2003-2013. Within the region, coverage with the first dose of a measles-containing vaccine (MCV1) increased from 67% to 78%; an estimated 286 million children (95% of the target population) were vaccinated in SIAs; measles incidence decreased 73%, from 59 to 16 cases per million population; and estimated measles deaths decreased 63%. To achieve measles elimination in the region, additional efforts are needed in countries with <95% 2-dose routine MCV coverage, particularly in India and Indonesia, to strengthen routine immunization services, conduct periodic high-quality SIAs, and strengthen measles case-based surveillance and laboratory diagnosis of measles.

FIGURE

Number of reported measles cases^* and estimated percentage of children who received their first and second dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV),^† by country — World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Region (SEAR), 2003–2013 Abbreviations : MCV1 = first dose of MCV in routine immunization; MCV2 = second dose of MCV in routine immunization. ^* Cases of measles reported to WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) through the Joint Reporting Form from WHO-SEAR. ^† Data are from WHO and UNICEF estimates for SEAR, available at http://www.who.int/immunization/monitoring_surveillance/data/subject/en. ^§ Others include Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Timor-Leste.