Sri Lanka successfully eliminates measles: WHO

Colombo: The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that Sri Lanka had successfully eliminated measles from the island country.

The WHO South-East Asia Regional Director Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh said Sri Lanka's success demonstrated its commitment, the determination of its health workforce and parents to protect children against measles.

“Sri Lanka’s achievement comes at a time when globally measles cases are increasing. The country’s success demonstrates its commitment, and the determination of its health workforce and parents to protect children against measles,” said Dr Singh.

An independent verification committee reviewed in detail all data and ongoing efforts for measles elimination in the island nation and concluded that Sri Lanka had stopped transmission of indigenous measles virus.

The country reported its last case of measles caused by an indigenous virus in May 2016.

“The risk of importations of measles virus from countries near and far will remain, specially from those that have significant population movement with Sri Lanka. Further strengthening immunity of the vulnerable population, capacities to detect and readiness to respond to measles virus both at the national and sub-national levels, would be the key to the country’s continued measles-free status in the coming years,” the Regional Director said. She announced Sri Lanka’s measles-free achievement at the South-East Asia Regional Immunisation Technical Advisory group meeting.

With Sri Lanka’s recent achievement, five countries of the Region have now eliminated measles. In 2017-18 Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste eliminated measles. While measles is a major childhood killer disease, rubella causes irreversible deformities and disabilities in newborns.

“Elimination of measles is a good indicator of the strength of immunisation systems generally and, by extension, of the quality and reach of the primary health care system” the Regional Director said.

Despite good progress, challenges remain in reaching the most vulnerable and hard to reach population and the undeserved. Of the 37 million children born in the Region every year, 11% are missing out on basic vaccines during their first year of life. Calling upon Member countries to heighten vigilance, and further accelerate immunisation coverage, Dr Khetrapal Singh, added, “moving forward, we must harness this momentum to sustain our achievements, accelerate progress, and make the most of innovative technologies and interventions”.

All 11 countries in WHO South-East Asia Region, home to one-fourth of the global population, have been accelerating efforts to eliminate measles and control rubella by also leveraging reach and support of existing networks such as of the polio eradication programme.