Sophie and Olive draw their week in India
When it comes to people in India, there are only big numbers. More than 1.2 billion people live in the country, and about 27 million children are born there every year. For measles control, India is also thinking big. Health workers are in the final phases of vaccinating 134 million kids from ages 9 months to … Read more
CDC & Gates Foundation welcome renowned illustrator Sophie Blackall
In honor of World Immunization Week, the CDC and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation each highlighted the importance of stopping measles by welcoming the talented illustrator Sophie Blackall to open ‘Let Every Child Have a Name: The Road to a World Without Measles’. The exhibit was inspired by Ms. Blackall’s trip to the Democratic Republic of the … Read more
Rwanda will protect almost 5 million against measles and rubella this week
Rwanda’s measles-rubella vaccination campaign, which is being launched today, is the beginning of an effort to vaccinate more than 700 million children under 15 years of age against two disabling and deadly diseases. The combined measles-rubella vaccine will be introduced in 49 countries by 2020 thanks to financial support from the GAVI Alliance. The support … Read more
By Reindeer, Jeep and on Foot: Reaching Every Child in Mongolia
A remarkable photo story shows the efforts of health workers in Mongolia as they strive to reach every child with the measles and rubella vaccine. At times travelling by jeep, reindeer, rope-drawn ferry and foot, workers attempt to immunize nomadic herder communities who account for a quarter of the country’s children. The campaign, led by … Read more
WHO issues updated guidance on verifying the elimination of measles and rubella
Revised guidance on verifying the elimination of measles and rubella, and monitoring progress in at least 5 WHO Regions by 2020, is the focus of a framework prepared by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE). The updated guidance, published in WHO’s Weekly Epidemiological Record today, draws on the experience gained in Regions … Read more
Measles deaths decline but 20 million children still unprotected
The Measles & Rubella Initiative helped to reach over 225 million children through mass vaccination campaigns in 2011 alone, contributing to a 71% drop in global measles deaths in just over a decade. New data released this week shows that progress against measles is due to increased vaccination coverage which has resulted in a 58% … Read more
Lions Clubs: an insider perspective on their fight against measles
Just over two years ago, the Lions Clubs International Foundation became an active partner in the fight against measles – to mobilize communities, advocate for leadership and raise funds. Their tireless work has been crucial in ensuring that measles vaccines reach families who need them most. In October 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation challenged … Read more
Lions Clubs and Gates Foundation collaboration raise a staggering US$15 million in fight against measles
The Measles & Rubella Initiative would like to congratulate the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) for their remarkable efforts in raising US$10 million towards helping to eliminate the disease. In October 2011, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation challenged Lions to raise US$10 million for measles. To help Lions in this effort, the Gates Foundation donated … Read more
Schools, communities rally to reach more than 6.4 million Zambian children with measles vaccine
By Mark Maseko, Communication Officer, UNICEF Zambia More than 6.4 million children in Zambia aged between 6 months and 15 years – 46% of the population – had an opportunity to receive the life-saving measles vaccination during a week-long national campaign in mid-September. Schools, strong social mobilization and grassroots-level involvement Schools were fully involved in … Read more
