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Efforts needed to achieve 2015 measles goal
CDC. MMWR. 2012;61:73-78.
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Progress has been made during the past few years in global measles control, but 40% of countries still had more than five cases per million at the end of 2010. Therefore, the CDC said key challenges must be overcome to meet the World Health Assembly’s 2015 measles objectives.
In a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, officials reported that global measles-containing vaccination (MCV) coverage increased from 72% in 2000 to 85% in 2008 with approximately 1 billion children vaccinated through measles supplementary immunization activities.
However, according to the report, 40% of all countries had not met the incidence target of fewer than five cases per million by the end of 2010.
Officials suggested the following to reverse the recent increase in global reported measles cases and to make further progress toward achieving 2015 objectives:
- Overcoming declining political and financial commitments to measles control.
- Achieving uniform high coverage with two doses of MCV through routine services.
- Monitoring subnational MCV1 and MCV2 coverage data to guide the development of interventions to increase coverage.
In an accompanying editorial, CDC officials wrote: “Reductions in measles mortality accounted for 23% of the estimated global decline in all-cause child mortality from 1990 to 2008. This contribution to reducing the mortality rate in children aged younger than 5 years by 2015 is at risk unless the challenges to reaching uniform high coverage with two doses of MCV can be overcome.”
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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