title: The Measles Initiative: moving toward measles eradication.
abstract: The World Health Assembly should establish a target date for measles eradication based on continued progress toward existing mortality reduction goals. We have a safe, effective, and inexpensive vaccine; a proven elimination strategy; high country demand; and an effective global partnership. Since it was founded in 2001, the Measles Initiative has supported the vaccination of >900 million children in supplementary immunization activities. Largely as a result, global measles deaths decreased by 78% between 2000 and 2008, averting an estimated 4.3 million deaths. The Measles Initiative has exceeded its targets and evolved to address increasingly ambitious goals. The current challenges include a decline in funding and weak routine immunization systems in some countries. Skeptics of measles eradication raise 3 main objections: the yet-to-be-achieved polio eradication goal, the high cost, and the impact on health systems. These are important concerns that can be addressed with judicious program planning. All 6 World Health Organization regions have committed to measles elimination, and 5 have set a target date. The World Health Assembly has endorsed interim targets toward eradication, and an independent global measles advisory group has determined measles can and should be eradicated. A target date for eradication will focus efforts and capitalize on the achievements of the last decade.
authors.affiliation: American Red Cross--International Services, NW3-117C, 2025 E St NW, Washington, DC 20006, USA. christieat@usa.redcross.org
authors.forename: Athalia S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gay
mesh_terms: D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008457:Measles / Q000401:mortality* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008458:Measles Vaccine / Q000276:immunology*; D011159:Population Surveillance
chemical_list: D008458:Measles Vaccine