The World Health Organization’s South-East Asia Region has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminate measles and rubella from the Region by 2026. This ambitious public health goal, a Flagship Priority for the Region since 2014, has already seen notable progress: four countries have eliminated both diseases, with an additional country achieving rubella elimination.
In a virtual gathering marking the 10th Meeting of the Regional Verification Commission for Measles & Rubella, experts, health officials from Member States, and Organizational partners convened to assess progress and outline next steps.
Dr Catharina Boehme, Officer-in-Charge for the WHO South-East Asia Region, opened the meeting by commending the Region’s achievements in immunization and disease elimination. ‘We continue to remain polio-free. We have sustained maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination. Four countries have verified measles elimination, and five have verified rubella elimination. These achievements are due to the Region’s efforts in surveillance, vaccination and outbreak response,’ she stated.
The meeting’s agenda included a comprehensive review of country-specific reports submitted by national verification committees, with a focus on each nation’s advancement toward measles and rubella elimination. Members evaluated performance against established criteria set out in the Regional Framework for verification of elimination, and classified countries into categories such as “Verified Elimination”, “Eliminated” (absence of transmission for more than 12 months but not yet verified), “Re-established Transmission”, and “Endemic”.
Participants also discussed ongoing challenges and strategies to accelerate elimination efforts in the lead-up to the 2026 deadline. Attendees included all members of the South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission, national verification committees, representatives from ministries of health across the Region, and international partners.