Measles Initiative Partners Fight The Two Most Deadly Childhood Diseases In Africa Testing An Integrated Approach To Reach Every Child

Togo vaccination campaign next week to prevent measles and malaria in thousands of children

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, December 07, 2004 — In the largest integrated health intervention of its kind to date, the Measles Initiative will also evaluate a nationwide approach to combat malaria, the leading cause of childhood death in Africa. More than 800,000 insecticide-treated nets will be distributed during the measles vaccination campaign in Togo the week of December 13-19. The Measles Initiative is in the last phase of evaluating whether adding net distribution to measles campaigns will help control both measles and malaria effectively.

Nearly 1 million Togolese children will receive measles vaccinations, saving more than 3,000 lives each year. Before the Measles Initiative began in 2001, measles killed more than 480,000 children each year in Africa but because of the Initiative’s success that number has been reduced by half. Each child under five years old will also receive the polio vaccine, mebendazole (to fight intestinal worms) and vitamin A. Each household with children under five years old will receive a net. All services will be free.

“The Measles Initiative supports African countries to hold vaccination campaigns, bringing measles vaccinations to the most vulnerable, hard to reach populations. We are now measuring our success at using this same system to help prevent malaria. So far, the Initiative has vaccinated more than 140 million children, saving more than 300,000 lives. If we find that this system can also be used to help prevent malaria and other diseases, the resulting lives saved will be staggering,” said Gerry Jones, vice president, American Red Cross. The Measles Initiative strategy includes national vaccination campaigns for African children during a period of up to two weeks. Such campaigns draw mothers and children from wide areas and offer one-stop shopping for much needed lifesaving health interventions for free.

Insecticide-treated nets are a key component in fighting death and illness due to malaria. Nearly 1 million children under five years old die of malaria, Africa’s number one cause of child mortality in Africa. Ninety percent of deaths due to malaria worldwide occur in sub-Saharan Africa. The global Roll Back Malaria Partnership strives to halve the burden of malaria by 2010, and aims to have 60 percent of high risk populations (young children and pregnant women) sleep under the nets. So far this target has not been met, because people who are in greatest need are unable to access or afford a net- even at a cost of US $5.

The Lawra District of Ghana was the first area to successfully integrate nets, having distributed 14,600 nets during a one-week immunization campaign in December 2002. Prior to the campaign, only 7 percent of families in Lawra District had a net. After they were given for free to any caregiver accompanying a child under five years old to the vaccination post, the coverage rate jumped to 80 percent.

In Zambia, during one week in June 2003, the Measles Initiative vaccinated 5 million children under five years old while the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Canadian Red Cross provided 90,000 nets in five districts. In these districts, household coverage increased from 29 percent (pre-campaign) to 85 percent, and measles vaccine coverage reached more than 95 percent. The cost of logistics for delivering a net was 32 cents and 36 cents in Ghana and Zambia, respectively.

Togo is one of four West African countries that will synchronize measles and polio vaccination campaigns in 2004. While several other countries will also distribute and provide other services in certain districts, Togo is the only country taking this integrated strategy to a national scale.

For the Togo campaign, significant contributions have been made by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Norwegian Aid, The Vaccine Fund, the Gates Foundation, Vodafone Foundation, DHL, Sanofi-Synthelabs and Vestergaard-Frandsen. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the Canadian Red Cross, the Norwegian Red Cross, and the New Zealand Red Cross have made important financial contributions. Social mobilization, the process to educate and encourage families to bring their children to be vaccinated, is being carried out by more than 10,000 Togolese Red Cross volunteers, the Peace Corps and Freedom from Hunger. Air France has committed 90 airline tickets to the Measles Initiative over the next two years.

Launched in February 2001, the Measles Initiative is a long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa by vaccinating 200 million children and preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years. Leading this effort is the American Red Cross, United Nations Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Other key players in the fight against measles include the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and countries and governments affected by measles.

While the Measles Initiative is focused in Africa where the majority of measles-related deaths occur, partners also work on a wide-range of health initiatives around the world, including measles control and other vaccination services outside of Africa.

For more information about the Measles Initiative, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org.

To make a financial contribution, call 1-800 HELP NOW or to make a secure online donation, log on to www.measlesinitiative.org.