Measles Initiative: focus on India

Enthused over the drop in measles deaths worldwide from 7,57,000 to 2,42,000 between 2000 and 2006..

Enthused over the drop in measles deaths worldwide from 7,57,000 to 2,42,000 between 2000 and 2006, Measles Initiative has decided to focus its attention on India, where an estimated 10.5 million children have not been immunised.

The Measles Initiative is a partnership — led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization (WHO) — committed to reducing measles deaths worldwide.

Around 25 million newborns will be immunised every year and the states will be given Rs 250 crore to implement a strategic action plan, Dr Naresh Goyal, Assistant Commissioner (Immunisation), Government of India, told The Indian Express.

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While Goyal admitted that the immunisation schedule has not been implemented in the northern states, the Government has now planned extra immunisation drives and as part of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) entrusted more responsibility on states to meet the target. A surveillance network has been set up and states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal and Gujarat have been reporting the number of measles cases to the Centre.

Around 1,78,000 people died of measles in South Asia last year — mostly in India and Pakistan — 26 less from 2000. The Measles Initiative, launched in 2001, said an estimated 478 million children aged 9 months to 14 years worldwide received measles vaccines between 2000 and 2006, thanks to well-coordinated campaigns by a network of health professionals and trained volunteers.

NIV breakthrough in tracking disease

Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has been able to identify the transmission pathways for tracking measles. NIV officials said they have been investigating outbreak of measles across the country and have instituted molecular surveillance of measles strains in the country. In a phased manner, three cities — Pune, Chennai and Bangalore— were covered. Throat swabs and urine samples were also collected from suspected patients. The virus was isolated and measles genotype D7 was detected from two classical cases (Chennai and Pune ).