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Three African Nations Eliminate Measles, Rubella, WHO Says
(MENAFN) Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles have achieved a landmark public health victory by eliminating measles and rubella, becoming the first sub-Saharan nations to reach this milestone, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monday.
The declaration followed the recommendation of the WHO’s Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, which convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October.
In a statement, WHO confirmed that the three island nations have halted endemic transmission of both viruses for over 36 months while maintaining robust disease surveillance systems capable of swiftly identifying and containing any imported cases.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, praised the achievement, calling it “a major public health milestone in the continent’s collective efforts to control and end diseases in Africa.”
“It shows what’s possible when countries put prevention first and make vaccines a priority,” he said. “We must build on this success so that every child in Africa can grow up healthy and protected.”
The success is credited to strategies such as periodic mass vaccination campaigns, which strengthened national efforts to control the diseases.
Cabo Verde’s Health Minister Jorge Figueiredo reflected on the country’s long battle with the viruses, saying measles and rubella had “threatened the health and futures of the country’s children” for decades.
He emphasized the critical role of partnerships, stating that collaboration “among governments, health professionals, communities, and international partners” was key to reaching this goal.
According to WHO, Cabo Verde has not reported a confirmed measles case since 1999, and the last confirmed rubella case occurred in 2010. Mauritius has recorded no measles cases since 2019, and all recent suspected cases of measles and rubella were dismissed after thorough investigation. In Seychelles, the last measles outbreak was contained in 2020, and there have been no confirmed rubella cases since 2016.
With this announcement, the three nations join 133 others globally verified to have eliminated both diseases.
Measles and rubella are highly contagious airborne viruses preventable through vaccination. WHO warns that measles can cause severe complications and death, particularly in young children, while rubella infection during pregnancy can lead to irreversible birth defects.
The declaration followed the recommendation of the WHO’s Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, which convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October.
In a statement, WHO confirmed that the three island nations have halted endemic transmission of both viruses for over 36 months while maintaining robust disease surveillance systems capable of swiftly identifying and containing any imported cases.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, praised the achievement, calling it “a major public health milestone in the continent’s collective efforts to control and end diseases in Africa.”
“It shows what’s possible when countries put prevention first and make vaccines a priority,” he said. “We must build on this success so that every child in Africa can grow up healthy and protected.”
The success is credited to strategies such as periodic mass vaccination campaigns, which strengthened national efforts to control the diseases.
Cabo Verde’s Health Minister Jorge Figueiredo reflected on the country’s long battle with the viruses, saying measles and rubella had “threatened the health and futures of the country’s children” for decades.
He emphasized the critical role of partnerships, stating that collaboration “among governments, health professionals, communities, and international partners” was key to reaching this goal.
According to WHO, Cabo Verde has not reported a confirmed measles case since 1999, and the last confirmed rubella case occurred in 2010. Mauritius has recorded no measles cases since 2019, and all recent suspected cases of measles and rubella were dismissed after thorough investigation. In Seychelles, the last measles outbreak was contained in 2020, and there have been no confirmed rubella cases since 2016.
With this announcement, the three nations join 133 others globally verified to have eliminated both diseases.
Measles and rubella are highly contagious airborne viruses preventable through vaccination. WHO warns that measles can cause severe complications and death, particularly in young children, while rubella infection during pregnancy can lead to irreversible birth defects.
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