The World Health Organisation on Sunday commended the Maldives for its unprecedented efforts to eliminate measles.
“The launch of the Measles and Rubella campaign today is a demonstration of its strong commitment to rid the country of the disease, a major childhood killer globally as well as in WHO South-East Asia Region,” said a statement released by Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia. “Though countries in WHO South-East Asia Region are rolling out MR campaigns, Maldives’ intervention is unique as it covers adults up to the age of 25 years. The campaign will help close any immunity gaps and lay the groundwork for elimination of this life-threatening disease.”
“This mass campaign will fast track progress towards WHO’s regional goal of measles elimination by 2020, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goal of ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five by 2030, and ensuring health and wellbeing for all at all ages,” said the statement.
“The campaign is also a strong example of how multi-sectoral and society-wide mobilisation can further public health goals,” Dr. Khetrapal Singh said. “Support for and participation in the campaign has been established from the education, tourism, defense, sports and youth, housing, and Islamic affairs ministries, while public service media, newspapers, youth groups and other civic-minded organisations and businesses have demonstrated their commitment to the cause.”
In the South-East Asia Region in 2015 an estimated 54, 500 lives were lost to measles, while approximately 50, 000 births were affected by rubella, a disease that causes irreversible birth defects such as deafness and heart disease when transmitted from mother to fetus, according to WHO.
“In 2016 alone Maldives was able to eliminate malaria and lymphatic filariasis. As this initiative demonstrates, further path-breaking achievements are likely,” the statement added.