Shooting Down Measles

By John Simpson
ScienceNOW Daily News
19 January 2007

Measles deaths worldwide have declined by more than half since 1999, according to a report released today by the Measles Initiative. Experts say the remarkable progress raises the possibility of eventually eliminating the viral infection of the respiratory system, given enough funding and political will.

Data in this week's edition of The Lancet chart a decline in measles deaths from an estimated 873,000 in 1999 to 345,000 in 2005. Much progress was made in Africa, where measles mortality fell by 75% from an estimated 506,000 to 126,000.

To combat the disease, the organizations behind the Measles Initiative--which include the American Red Cross, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization--have spent more than $300 million to provide better medical care to infants and children with measles. Ninety percent of measles deaths in 2005 occurred in children under the age of 5, many of whom suffered complications from severe pneumonia, encephalitis, or diarrhea. The Initiative furnished vaccine for all infants and for children who hadn't already been immunized. All told, more than 360 million children aged 9 months to 15 years have received the vaccine between 1999 and 2005. The fight has led to improved health infrastructure in developing countries that includes routine immunizations, more refrigerators for storing vaccines, and a global network of public health laboratories.

With additional resources, the Measles Initiative says it could launch new campaigns in all areas of the world over the next 2 years. But to continue global progress, countries that still have many measles deaths, such as India and Pakistan, must implement and sustain programs to reduce the disease. By 2010, the Initiative hopes to reduce measles mortality by 90% compared to 2000 levels. According to information officer Melinda Henry of the World Health Organization, $150 million of the estimated $500 million has been committed to reach the Initiative's next goal.

Producing the vaccines necessary for fighting measles worldwide is realistic, says Paul Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "It's simply a matter of getting the vaccine where it needs to go, setting up the infrastructure," he says.

The chances of eradicating the disease also look promising, says Walter Dowdle, a consultant to the World Health Organization in Decatur, Georgia. "Eradicating measles is technically feasible and biologically feasible," he says. But it will take political will to muster the needed funds.