Question: Consider the following statements:
(1) Maldives and Sri Lanka have become the first two countries in the South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of the 2023 target.
(2) India stood fourth among 194 countries in the number of measles cases registered between July 2018 and June 2019.
Of the above correct statement/s is/are:
(a) Only 1
(b) Only 2
(c) Both 1&2
(d) None of the above
Answer: (c)
Related facts:
- Maldives and Sri Lanka have become the first two countries in the South-East Asia region to eliminate both measles and rubella ahead of the 2023 target.
- The announcement was made by WHO South-East Asia’s Regional Director, Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh after the fifth meeting of the regional verification commission for measles and rubella elimination, held virtually.
Parameters for recognition:
- A country is verified as having eliminated measles and rubella when there is no evidence of endemic transmission for over three years by a well-performing surveillance system.
- Maldives reported its last endemic case of measles in 2009 and of rubella in October 2015, while Sri Lanka reported last endemic case of measles in May 2016 and of rubella in March 2017.
Target year for elimination:
- Member countries of WHO South-East Asia region had set 2023 as the target for elimination of measles and rubella. Bhutan, DPR Korea and Timor-Leste are other countries in the region who have eliminated measles.
Measles:
- Measles is a serious and highly contagious disease that can cause debilitating or fatal complications, including encephalitis, severe diarrhoea and dehydration, pneumonia, ear infections and permanent vision loss.
- The disease is preventable through two doses of a safe and effective vaccine.
Rubella:
- Rubella, more commonly known as German measles, can have severe consequences during pregnancy.
- An infection just before conception and in early pregnancy may result in miscarriage, foetal death or congenital defects known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
- A woman infected with the rubella virus early in pregnancy has a 90% chance of passing the virus to the foetus.
Status in India:
- India stood fourth among 194 countries in the number of measles cases registered between July 2018 and June 2019 as per the World Health Organization (WHO).
- India reported 47,056 measles cases and 1,263 rubella cases during these 12 months.
- India, as part of the global initiative, has targeted elimination of measles and control of rubella by 2020.
- Rubella control is achieved when a country reduces the number of rubella cases by 95% as compared to cases in 2008.
- India has initiated the world’s largest Measles-Rubella (MR) Campaign targeting vaccination of 410 million children and adolescents aged between 9 months and 15 years.
- The MR campaign began in February 2017, and as of November 2018, 135 million children have been vaccinated in 28 states/UTs.
- Under the programme, two doses of measles and rubella vaccines are to be given at ages 9-12 months and 16-24 months.
By-Amar Mani Upadhyay
Links:
http://newsonair.com/News?title=Maldives%2c-Sri-Lanka-eliminate-measles-%26-rubella-ahead-of-2023-target&id=393273
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/where-india-stands-in-battle-against-measles-how-sri-lanka-eliminated-it-5824424/