Measles deaths down 60 percent in 6 years

By Patricia Reaney

LONDON (Reuters) - Deaths from measles have fallen by 60 percent worldwide since 1999 in what experts described on Friday as an historic victory for global health.

Accelerated control measures including an increase in routine measles immunizations and a campaign to reach marginalized children in the 45 worst hit countries has pushed deaths down from an estimated 873,000 in 1999 to around 345,000 in 2005.

The biggest fall has been in Africa where the number of children dying from the illness fell 75 percent to 126,000.

"Our promise to cut measles deaths by half and save hundreds of thousands of deaths has not only been fulfilled, it has been surpassed in just six years with Africa leading the way," said Dr Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Global health organizations including the WHO, the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control announced in 2000 their intention to halve measles deaths.

The new figures announced by the WHO and published in The Lancet medical journal show they have surpassed their target and prompted suggestions for the eradication of the infectious illness.

ERADICATION POSSIBLE

"Measles eradication is theoretically possible because the only reservoir for the measles virus is humans and we have a safe and effective vaccine," said Dr. Peter Strebel, of the WHO and a co-author of the study, in an interview.

In the western hemisphere there has been no local spread of the measles virus since 2002 because of very aggressive vaccination efforts.

"It is technically possible, theoretically possible and in certain areas practically possible to stop transmission," said Strebel. "However, global eradication will require all countries at the same time to achieve very high vaccination coverage -- 95 percent plus."

In countries with ongoing war, conflict or poor coverage it would be difficult to achieve those levels. The next goal set by the partners of the measles initiative is to further reduce measles mortality by 90 percent by 2010.

Strebel said in Africa the number of people being immunized against measles, which is one of the most highly contagious diseases and a leading cause of death among children, rose from 71 to 81 percent in the 6-year period.

Ninety percent of the estimated 340,000 deaths from measles in 2005 were in children under 5 years old. The illness can cause serious complications such encephalitis, an infection of the brain, severe diarrhea and pneumonia, which is the most common cause of death associated with the illness.

Strebel believes the measles reduction program could be a model for combating other deadly diseases.

"The delivery strategy (to reach marginalized children) really has the potential to reach children with other life-saving interventions," he said.

"If we can build on that strategy it could have a much greater impact on child mortality than on measles alone."