Progress towards regional measles elimination - worldwide, 2000-2020

ABSTRACT

This report describes the progress towards WHA milestones and measles elimination objectives during 2000-2020 and updates a previous report. During 2000-2010, estimated MCV first dose (MCV1)coverage increased globally from 72% to 84%, peaked at 86% in 2019, and declined to 84% in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. All countries conducted measlesurveillance, although fewer than one third achieved the sensitivity indicator target of 2 discarded cases per 100,000 population in 2020. From 2000 to 2016, annual reported measles incidence fell 88%, from 145 to 18 cases per 1 million population, before rebounding to 120 in 2019 and falling to 22 in 2020. During 2000-2020, the annual number of estimated measles deaths decreased by 94%, from 1,072,800 to 60,700, averting an estimated 31.7 million measles deaths. To reach regional measles eradication goals, more work needs to be done to make sure all children get two MCV doses, to have strong surveillance, and to find and close immunity gaps.