Each year, a disease that has been eliminated in the Western Hemisphere kills nearly 454,000 people globally. Of those, 410,000 are children under the age of five. Since 2001, deaths globally have been reduced by 74 percent largely due to the Measles Initiative. Measles is a leading vaccine-preventable childhood killer in the world. Millions of children still remain at risk from measles and many children, particularly under the age of five, will die from it. There is good news. Measles can be easily prevented with a simple vaccination that costs less than one dollar per child.
Launched in February 2001, the Measles Initiative started as a long-term commitment to reduce measles deaths in Africa by 90 percent by 2010, when compared to the 2000 numbers, by vaccinating at-risk children 15 years old and younger. This benchmark was met three years early in 2007. As of the end of 2008, the Measles Initiative has vaccinated over 250 million children in more than 40 African countries, saving more than 3.6 million lives. Because of the Measles Initiative’s success in Africa, the program has expanded into countries in South and Southeast Asia, specifically India, where the measles burden remains high.
Leading this effort are the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Other key players in the fight against measles include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles.
The Measles Initiative will support WHO's 47 priority countries and the Global Immunization Vision and Strategy goal to reduce global measles deaths. The Measles Initiative will focus heavily on the three countries that account for the majority of global measles deaths: India, Pakistan and Nigeria, while also continuing its work in other areas of Africa and extending its lifesaving actions to various countries around the world.
Donate now to support the Measles Initiative.
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