India has been honored with the esteemed ‘Measles and Rubella Champion’ award from the Measles and Rubella Partnership, acknowledging the nation’s dedicated initiatives to thwart the proliferation of highly infectious and contagious diseases. This recognition highlights India’s steadfast commitment to public health, specifically in curbing the transmission of diseases like measles and rubella, particularly among children.

India’s Remarkable Triumph in Infectious Disease Prevention

India’s Deputy Ambassador to the US, Sripriya Ranganathan, received the award from the Measles and Rubella Partnership at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington DC, US, on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, on Wednesday.
“India has provided inspiration to regional measles and rubella elimination programs, tracing measles outbreaks to strengthen routine immunization across the country. Thank you to our M&RP champions! MR Partnership,” the agency wrote in a post on X.

The Union Health Ministry said that the Measles and Rubella Partnership comprises a multi-agency planning committee, including the American Red Cross, BMGF, GAVI, US CDC, UNF, UNICEF, and WHO, all dedicated to reducing global measles deaths and preventing rubella illness.

“This accolade celebrates India’s unwavering commitment to public health and its outstanding leadership in curbing the spread of these infectious diseases among children. It further recognizes India for providing regional leadership to the measles & rubella elimination program by using ‘measles as a tracer’ to strengthen routine immunization under the country’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP),” the ministry said in a statement.

Did You Know?

India has vaccinated over 348 million children between 2017 and March 2023 through a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign.

“Despite facing numerous challenges, India has demonstrated remarkable progress in reducing measles and rubella cases and preventing outbreaks through a series of comprehensive interventions,” it added. Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes, according to the WHO, and “can cause severe disease, complications, and even death” (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
World Health Organization – Measles

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Rubella is also a contagious disease caused by a virus. Most people who get rubella usually have a mild illness, with symptoms that can include a low-grade fever, sore throat, and a rash that starts on the face and spreads to the rest of the body. The diseases are preventable by vaccines, and the MR Vaccine has been part of India’s Universal Immunization Program since 2017.

The health ministry also congratulated the frontline health workers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and communities for their “dedication and hard work”.The ministry said the efforts “resulted in 50 districts consistently not witnessing any measles case while 226 districts have not reported rubella cases over the past 12 months”.

1. World Health Organization – Measles – (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles)

Source-IANS