WHO says Sri Lanka and Maldives eliminate measles, rubella

 Sri Lanka and Maldives have become first two countries in World Health Organization's South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahe of a 2023 target, U.N. health ncy anunced Wednesday. “This success is encouraging and demonstrates importance of joint efforts” in combating diseases as world grapples with coronavirus, WHO South-East Asia regional director Poonam Khetrapal Singh said in a statement.

A country is considered to have eliminated measles and rubella when re is evidence of endemic transmission of viruses for more than three years and re is a well- performing surveillance system.

Maldives reported its last endemic case of measles in 2009 and rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported its last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and rubella in March 2017.

WHO praised efforts of countries in region to continue vaccinating children while battling coronavirus pandemic. It said all of countries in recent years have introduced two doses of measles vaccine and at least one dose of rubella vaccine in ir routine immunization programs.

First-dose cover of measles vaccine is w 88% and second-dose cover 76% in region, WHO said. Since 2017, nearly 500 million more children in region have been vaccinated for measles and rubella, it said.

Last September, 11 countries in WHO's South-East Asia region set 2023 as a target for elimination of measles and rubella. countries in WHO region are Banglesh, Bhutan, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, rth Korea, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

WHO said Bhutan, East Timor and rth Korea have succeeded in eliminating measles.