New Plan to Control and Eliminate Measles and Rubella

24 April 2012

A new global strategy aims to reduce measles deaths and congenital rubella syndrome to zero. The strategy comes with the publication of new data using a state-of-the-art methodology showing that efforts to reduce measles deaths have resulted in a 74% reduction in global measles deaths, from an estimated 535 300 deaths in 2000 to 139300 in 2010.

“A three-quarters drop in measles deaths worldwide shows just how effective well-run vaccination programmes can be,” says Dr Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General. “Now we need to take the next logical step and vaccinate children against rubella, too.”

For more information, please click:

New Plan to Control and Eliminate Measles and Rubella