Sri Lanka has significantly impacted global health progress by being declared measles-free by the World Health Organization (WHO). The country becomes the fifth in the WHO southeast Asia region to reach this landmark achievement, indicating no new reported cases of the disease for the past three years. Further, Sri Lanka became the fourth country in the same region to eliminate measles and control Rubella, fulfilling a flagship priority program of WHO ahead of the initial 2020 regional target. Despite these considerable strides, it’s crucial to understand the broader context of these diseases and the global fight against them.
The Definition of Disease Elimination
When WHO declares a disease eliminated, it implies that there have been zero new cases of the disease reported within a significant period. For measles, this period is set at three years. Sri Lanka reported its last case of measles in May 2016, subsequently hitting the three-year mark in 2019. Consequently, the country was declared measles-free.
Regional Progress: Other Measles-Free Countries
Besides Sri Lanka, four other countries in the southeast Asia region have achieved the status of eliminating measles. These include Bhutan, Maldives, DPR Korea, and Timor-Leste. Interestingly, Sri Lanka also joined Bhutan, Maldives, and Timor-Leste in a more distinctive achievement – both the elimination of measles and control of rubella ahead of the 2020 regional target.
Understanding Rubella Control
Rubella control doesn’t necessarily mean total eradication of the disease. Instead, a country achieves rubella control when it can reduce the number of rubella cases by 95% compared to cases reported in the year 2008. Rubella control is an important agenda in WHO’s broader global disease control initiative.
Global Measles and Rubella Status
Despite Sri Lanka’s achievements, measles cases are increasing globally. The latest Global Measles and Rubella Update shows disturbing data. For instance, India reported 56,399 confirmed measles cases and 1,066 confirmed rubella cases in 2018, demonstrating still a long way to go in disease control.
| Country | Confirmed Measles Cases (2018) | Confirmed Rubella Cases (2018) |
|---|---|---|
| India | 56,399 | 1,066 |
About Measles and Rubella
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that often causes death among young children. On the other hand, rubella is a generally mild but contagious viral infection most common in children and young adults. Both diseases, caused by different viruses, present similar symptoms, including red rashes.
The Global Fight: The Measles & Rubella Initiative
A global program – the Measles & Rubella Initiative – is on a mission to eliminate both diseases. Vaccines for these diseases are supplied in various combinations such as measles-rubella (MR), measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), or measles-mumps-rubella-varicella (MMRV). These combination vaccines play a vital role in controlling the spread of these diseases worldwide.
