Governance
Measles and Rubella in South-East Asia
- 06 Sep 2019
- 3 min read
The member countries of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Committee for South-East Asia have resolved to eliminate highly infectious diseases Measles and Rubella by 2023.
- The data shows that Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste from the South East Asia region have eliminated Measles.
- On the other hand, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste have controlled Rubella.
- To achieve the Elimination of Measles and Rubella by 2023, the member-countries resolved to strengthen the immunisation systems for increasing and sustaining the high level of population immunity.
- The resolution also calls for ensuring a highly sensitive laboratory supported case-based surveillance system.
- Eliminating measles will prevent 500,000 deaths a year in the region while eliminating rubella would avert about 55,000 cases of rubella and promote the health and wellbeing of pregnant women and infants.
Measles
- It is a highly contagious viral disease and is a cause of death among young children globally.
- It is particularly dangerous for children from the economically weaker background, as it attacks malnourished children and those with reduced immunity.
- It can cause serious complications, including blindness, encephalitis, severe diarrhoea, ear infection and pneumonia.
Rubella
- It is also called German Measles.
- Rubella is a contagious, generally mild viral infection that occurs most often in children and young adults.
- Rubella infection in pregnant women may cause fetal death or congenital defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS).
- Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) causes irreversible birth defects.
- Apart from the above initiatives, India has also pledged to contribute $2,00,000 towards the implementation of the preparedness stream under the South-East Asia Health Emergency Response Fund (SEARHEF)
- Under this initiative, Special surveillance is to be mounted for early detection and control of vector-borne and waterborne diseases which helped to contain the outbreak of epidemic-prone disease following cyclone Fani.
- The Health Ministers of the South-East Asia Region of WHO also signed the Delhi Declaration on Emergency Preparedness.
WHO’s Regional Committee for South-East Asia
- The Regional Committee for South-East Asia is the World Health Organization’s governing body in the South-East Asia Region, with representatives from all 11 Member States of the Region.
- It meets every year to review progress in health development in the Region.
- It formulates resolutions on health issues for the Member States, as well as considers the regional implications of World Health Assembly resolutions.
- The Member Countries are:
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
- India
- Indonesia
- Maldives
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
