Elimination of measles from India: Challenges ahead and the way forward

Despite the safe and effective measles vaccine being available and despite efforts put in by various stakeholders over the past few decades, measles continues to kill 360 children every day worldwide.[1] The idea of controlling and eliminating measles (which was killing over 6800 children annually) was mooted in the 1980s, soon after the eradication of smallpox.[2,3] However, the World Health Organization (WHO) accorded a higher priority to eradication of poliomyelitis than that of measles. Measles elimination came to the fore again in the year 2000 when the number of polio cases dwindled enormously and “world without polio” appeared to be just around the corner.[2] Since 2000, the WHO has been setting targets to decrease measles-related morbidity and mortality. Although, these set targets were not achieved due to gaps in immunization; the measles elimination and control programs saved millions of lives by preventing life-threatening complications and sequels (such as bronchopneumonia, severe acute malnutrition, military tuberculosis, keratomalacia, and subacute sclerosing panencephalitis) in several more children through enhanced immunization coverage.[4-7] The world has now pledged to eliminate measles in five of the six WHO regions by 2020.[6,8,9]