Press Centre 2003/12/09: Health

Eliminating Measles

Iran and Turkey launch campaigns to eliminate measles

Tehran / Ankara / Geneva, 9 December 2003 -- UNICEF said today that Iran and Turkey have launched the largest and most ambitious measles campaigns in the world, reaching a combined total of 53 million people over the next year.

The Iranian campaign targets 33 million people between five and twenty-five years of age, all of whom it hopes will be immunised before the new year, while Turkey plans to reach 20 million people in the same age group over the next 12 months. Iran will also introduce the rubella vaccine as a part of its immunisation schedule for the first time.

There is absolutely no reason that children should die or be disabled from measles or rubella when we have simple, effective and inexpensive vaccines, said Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF

The Governments of Iran and Turkey have shown commendable leadership in their efforts to eliminate these deadly diseases.

In Iran, the Ministry of Health is leading the campaign, in close collaboration with other ministries and with the support of UNICEF, WHO and CDC.

The Turkish campaign will start this month with 10 million school children, expanding to infants and out-of-school children next year.

We applaud the collaboration between the Ministries of Health and Education in aiming to reach nearly 10 million children in the next two weeks, said Edmond McLoughney, UNICEF Representative in Turkey.

The campaigns in both countries will include efforts to enlist support from the media, health professionals, schools, local communities and parents.

In countries without rubella vaccination, rubella causes, on average, one per thousand babies to be born with disabilities such as blindness, deafness or serious heart disease. These can all be prevented with rubella vaccination.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that kills more children than any other vaccine-preventable disease. The virus weakens the immune system, often killing children because of complications from diarrhœa, pneumonia, and encephalitis. This is particularly true for children in developing countries who do not have access to adequate health care services. Those that survive measles can have permanent disabilities, including brain damage, blindness and deafness.

Although deaths from measles declined nearly two-thirds globally in the last decade, measles killed more than 770,000 children who were not immunised in 2001. The vaccine costs just 13¢.

The campaigns will have long-lasting implications both for children and for strengthening the overall public health system.

The campaign in Iran provides a unique opportunity to bring life-saving vaccines to children and young people who are traditionally difficult to reach -- the hundreds of thousands who are living in high-density urban areas and in the most remote parts of the country, said Kari Egge, UNICEF Representative in Iran. It will also boost the capacity of Iran’s routine immunisation programme.

Read Frequently Asked Questions About Measles.

For further information, please contact:

Dr Canan Sargın, UNICEF Health Programme Officer:
(+90) 533 744 42 03

Sema Hosta, UNICEF Communication Officer:
(+90) 533 622 83 46

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