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New Delhi, April 25, 2019: WHO today calls on countries in its Southeast Asian region to cope with the rising number of measles cases and outbreaks around the world, and intensify its efforts to ensure that everyone receives the vital benefits of immunization.
"Governments, communities and health workers need to work to maximize the benefits of immunization at all ages to prevent life-threatening and debilitating diseases. Vaccines work and save lives, we need to make sure that everyone, wherever it is, benefits, "said Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, WHO Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. Southeast, during the current World Immunization Week.
Preliminary measles surveillance data published recently show an increase of nearly 300% of measles cases worldwide in the first three months of this year compared to the same period in 2018. In the WHO Region of 39 Southeast Asia, the increase in measles cases during the same period is estimated at about 40 percent.
"These are new challenges for countries and communities. We must learn from our successes in eradicating polio and eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus from the Region. We must fight these diseases on the warpath to prevent disease and save precious lives, "said Dr. Khetrapal Singh.
Measles elimination and rubella control have been a flagship priority program in the WHO South-East Asia Region since 2014. Although rubella is at the origin of conbad malformations irreversible, measles is a life-threatening disease. It is one of the most infectious viruses known to man. It can lead to diarrhea, pneumonia, malnutrition in children and young adults and can even lead to death in all age groups.
Since 2014, four of the 11 member countries – Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste – have eliminated measles and six – Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor -Leste – have mastered rubella. Measles-related deaths have declined by 23% in the Region over the last five years.
All Member countries have introduced two doses of measles vaccine and ten countries have also introduced rubella vaccines into their routine immunization programs.
More than 86% of children under one year of age in the Region were vaccinated with the first dose of measles vaccine and 76% with a second dose of measles vaccine containing vaccine. routine vaccination. To fill immunodeficiency, mbad vaccination campaigns against measles and rubella are under way in the countries. Nearly 500,000 children have been vaccinated against measles in the Region in the last five years. These efforts averted an estimated 500,000 deaths each year from measles.
"While dramatic progress has been made in the fight against these two diseases, it is necessary to accelerate progress towards the Region's core priority of eliminating measles and controlling rubella." , to contribute to WHO's global "triple billion" goals and to fully implement the Secretary-General's Global Strategy for Women, Child and Adolescent Health. "
Robust vaccination systems are needed to exploit the full potential of vaccination so that every child in the Region is healthy, happy and fully protected against all vaccine-preventable diseases. said the Regional Director.
World Immunization Week – celebrated every year in the last week of April – aims to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages from the disease. Immunization saves millions of lives each year and is widely recognized as one of the most successful and cost-effective health interventions in the world. This year's theme is "Protected Together – Work on Vaccines".
Media contact:
Shamila Sharma
WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia
Responsible for information and advocacy
Phone: +91 9818287256
Email: [email protected]
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