WHO declares Oman measles and rubella free

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman is free of Measles and Rubella, the World Health Organisation has announced.
The Regional Verification Commission of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Measles and Rubella Elimination (RVC) in the Eastern Mediterranean Region also declared that the two deadly diseases have been wiped out in Bahrain, while the Islamic Republic of Iran has eliminated Rubella and is close to eradicating Measles.
The RVC met in Amman, Jordan, on 15/16th May 2019 to review the reports submitted by Bahrain, Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman, and decide on the status of elimination of measles and rubella in the three countries. The Commission’s decision was based on a review of the reports and discussion with representatives.
Dr. Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, congratulated Oman, Bahrain, and the Islamic Republic of Iran on their achievement.
“We acknowledge the great efforts exerted by the health sector in the three countries that have led to the achievement of this goal and the elimination of these serious diseases. This gives us great hope and confidence that all countries in the Region can do the same and that we will be able to announce that the Eastern Mediterranean Region is Measles and Rubella free” he said.
The RVC was nominated by the WHO Regional Director in January 2018 to confirm the elimination of the two diseases. Since then, national verification committees in 12 low incidence countries have been briefed on the documentation required for the verification process.
During the meeting in Amman, the RVC also announced a set of recommendations for the three countries.
The Commission recommended that Bahrain and Oman should maintain the high quality of their national immunization programmes and their surveillance systems. The Commission also recommended that the Islamic Republic of Iran update and complete their Measles outbreak summary table and implement further training for national laboratory staff on including distinct sequence ID information in their report submitted to the RVC.
The RVC encouraged all countries in the region to sustain their efforts for the elimination of both diseases.