Progress Toward Measles Elimination - African Region, 2013-2016

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) African Region (AFR) aimed for measles elimination by 2020.
• Key goals included high vaccination coverage and reduced measles incidence.
• Surveillance performance indicators were established to monitor progress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update on progress toward measles elimination in the AFR from 2013-2016.
• To assess vaccination coverage, supplemental immunization activities (SIAs), and surveillance performance.
• To identify remaining challenges and recommend actions for achieving elimination.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of estimated measles-containing vaccine first dose (MCV1) coverage.
• Evaluation of supplemental immunization activities (SIAs) coverage.
• Assessment of surveillance performance indicators, including non-measles febrile rash illness investigation and blood specimen collection.
• Tracking of confirmed measles incidence rates.

Main Results:

• Estimated regional MCV1 coverage increased from 71% (2013) to 74% (2015).
• Only 15% of countries achieved ≥95% MCV1 coverage in 2015; MCV2 provision increased from 24% to 49% of countries.
• 79% of SIAs reported ≥95% coverage; 40% of countries met both surveillance targets in 2016.
• Confirmed measles incidence decreased from 76.3 to 27.9 cases per million population (2013-2016).

Conclusions:

• Significant progress in measles control in AFR, but 2020 elimination goal remains challenging.
• Achieving ≥95% two-dose MCV coverage and enhancing SIA quality are critical.
• Full implementation of elimination-standard surveillance and robust verification mechanisms are necessary.