Bhutan, Maldives declared measles free; become first in WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate disease

Bhutan and Maldives have become the first in their region to eliminate the highly infectious disease.

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London: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday announced that Bhutan and Maldives have eliminated measles, a highly infectious disease that is a major childhood killer globally.

The two countries have become the first in WHO South-East Asia Region to eliminate the highly infectious disease.

According to WHO, the milestone was reached after no measles cases originating in the Maldives had been recorded since 2009 and none in Bhutan since 2012.

Both countries launched immunisation programmes abound 40 years ago with mass vaccination of people at high risk.

"The strongest political commitment, alongside concerted efforts of health workers, officials and partners at all levels, has helped achieve this landmark success," Poonam Khetrapal Singh, regional director of WHO Southeast Asia said in a statement.

The WHO has set a 2020 deadline for the elimination of measles in the 11 countries it categorises as the Southeast Asia region.

The WHO said, the region has averted an estimated 620,000 measles deaths in 2016 after carrying out vaccinations in the 11 countries.

Nearly 107 million children were reached with an additional dose of measles vaccine in the region between 2013 and 2016, as per WHO.

Globally, measles remains a leading cause of death among young children in the developing world. The viral disease is spread through coughing and sneezing and can lead to pneumonia, brain inflammation or death.

Last year, the Americas became the first region in the world to be free of measles, but last month an outbreak was reported in the U.S. state of Minnesota.

Gaps in vaccination coverage against measles also have led to several outbreaks of the disease in Europe in the past year, with both children and young adults affected, according to health officials.

The UN children's agency said in April cases of measles had surged in famine-threatened Somalia.

(With Agency inputs)