Progress towards measles elimination in Eritrea: 2003 - 2018.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Eritrea's commitment to the 2020 measles elimination goal.
• The Expanded Program on Immunisation (EPI) has been active since 1980.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess Eritrea's progress towards measles elimination.
• Evaluate vaccination coverage and surveillance performance.

Main Methods:

• Reviewed administrative and WHO-UNICEF coverage data for Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus (DPT) and measles vaccines.
• Analyzed national measles surveillance performance and epidemiological trends.

Main Results:

• High measles vaccine coverage (MCV1 >90%, MCV2 88% from 2015-2017).
• Surveillance performance targets unmet since 2011, with underreporting of cases.
• Measles incidence ranged from 16.8-24.7 cases per million (2015-2018), with a mean age over 10 years.

Conclusions:

• High vaccination coverage is maintained, but surveillance gaps hinder measles elimination.
• Improving surveillance quality, risk assessment, and addressing immunity gaps are essential.
• Establishing a national verification committee will aid progress documentation and advocacy.