The Measles Initiative
The fight for child survival may seem daunting, but every once in a while we get news that reminds us our goal of zero preventable child deaths is, indeed, a real possibility.
The founding partners of the Measles Initiative have announced that measles deaths worldwide have dropped by 74 percent since 2000. That's a drop from some 750,000 deaths to 197,000.
The Measles Initiative is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Its aim is to reduce measles deaths all over the world. The Initiative was launched in 2001 and has since then supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in 60 countries. UNICEF is the global leader in vaccine supply, immunizing more than half of the world's children.
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| © UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0471/Christine Nesbitt |
| NIGERIA: Women stand in line to have their infants immunized against measles at a maternity clinic in Gabarin Town in the northern state of Bauchi. Several women hold their children's vaccination cards. |
The work has paid off. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and the Sudan, measles deaths have already been cut by 90 percent. This means that the UN goal to reduce measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010 has been achieved in this region several years ahead of schedule.
The fight for child survival may seem daunting, but every once in a while we get news that reminds us our goal of zero preventable child deaths is, indeed, a real possibility.
The founding partners of the Measles Initiative have announced that measles deaths worldwide have dropped by 74 percent since 2000. That's a drop from some 750,000 deaths to 197,000.
The Measles Initiative is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Its aim is to reduce measles deaths all over the world. The Initiative was launched in 2001 and has since then supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in 60 countries. UNICEF is the global leader in vaccine supply, immunizing more than half of the world's children.
|
| © UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0471/Christine Nesbitt |
| NIGERIA: Women stand in line to have their infants immunized against measles at a maternity clinic in Gabarin Town in the northern state of Bauchi. Several women hold their children's vaccination cards. |
The work has paid off. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and the Sudan, measles deaths have already been cut by 90 percent. This means that the UN goal to reduce measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010 has been achieved in this region several years ahead of schedule.
The fight for child survival may seem daunting, but every once in a while we get news that reminds us our goal of zero preventable child deaths is, indeed, a real possibility.
The founding partners of the Measles Initiative have announced that measles deaths worldwide have dropped by 74 percent since 2000. That's a drop from some 750,000 deaths to 197,000.
The Measles Initiative is a partnership led by the American Red Cross, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Its aim is to reduce measles deaths all over the world. The Initiative was launched in 2001 and has since then supported the vaccination of more than 600 million children in 60 countries. UNICEF is the global leader in vaccine supply, immunizing more than half of the world's children.
|
| © UNICEF/NYHQ2007-0471/Christine Nesbitt |
| NIGERIA: Women stand in line to have their infants immunized against measles at a maternity clinic in Gabarin Town in the northern state of Bauchi. Several women hold their children's vaccination cards. |
The work has paid off. In the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which includes countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia and the Sudan, measles deaths have already been cut by 90 percent. This means that the UN goal to reduce measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010 has been achieved in this region several years ahead of schedule.
 |
| © UNICEF/NYHQ2007-1787/Christine Nesbit |
| ANGOLA: A health worker vaccinates a baby at the health center near Luanda, the capital. The health center provides essential drugs and routine immunizations to prevent measles (among other preventable illnesses). |
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children. Most people recover within a few weeks without treatment, but for children whose immunity has been compromised by malnutrition or other causes, measles can cause serious, life-threatening complications. Things like diarrhea, pneumonia, ear infections and even blindness can result. Measles is also a significant health risk in the wake of humanitarian emergencies, when large numbers of people on the move increase the spread of the disease. Lack of food, shelter and clean water leave many vulnerable to complications.
The dramatic drop in measles deaths in the Eastern Mediterranean is the result of intensified vaccination campaigns which have focused on hard-to-reach areas, and the number of children who were immunized in the region doubled from 2006 to 2007. The increased vaccination campaigns have also contributed to reducing child deaths from other causes. In many places, immunizations were combined with other lifesaving interventions, such as the distribution of deworming medicine, vitamin A supplements and bed nets to prevent malaria.
Still, there's much to be done if we are to reach the UN's goal to reduce measles deaths all over the world by 90 percent by 2010. The current vaccination campaigns have to be sustained, and we have to increase immunizations in places where gaps in coverage are still causing outbreaks.
In India, which accounts for two thirds of all measles deaths, large-scale vaccination campaigns have been delayed, and deaths have declined by only 42 percent. More funding is essential: $35 million is urgently needed for the coming year.
More than 500 children still die every day from measles. But we have made tremendous progress in the last eight years. With continued support, total eradication of the disease is within our reach.
