Progress toward measles eradication in the region of the Americas.

Since 1994, when the goal of interrupting indigenous measles transmission was adopted, important progress has been made toward the control of measles in the Americas. Thirty-nine (95%) of 41 countries reporting to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) conducted catch-up vaccination campaigns during 1989-1995 and follow-up measles campaigns every 4 years. Routine (keep-up) vaccination coverage in the Region increased from 80% in 1994 to 94% in 2000. Measles vaccination coverage ranged between 75% and 99% in 2000 and between 53% and 99% in 2001. As a result, in 2001, the total number of confirmed measles cases reached a record low of 537, 99% lower than the number reported in 1990. In 2002, only Venezuela and Colombia had known indigenous transmission. As of January 2003, no known indigenous measles transmission had occurred in the Region since November 2002. This is due to high political commitment and implementation of PAHO's recommendations, including strengthened supervision and monitoring to improve accountability at the local level.

New horizons in the control of rubella and prevention of congenital rubella syndrome in the Americas.

Data from the regional measles surveillance system have documented widespread rubella virus circulation in many different countries in the Americas. In response to the ongoing endemic incidence of the disease and the potential for a major rubella epidemics in the region, the Pan American Health Organization Technical Advisory Group on Vaccine Preventable Diseases recommended the implementation of a regional initiative to strengthen rubella and congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) preventive efforts in 1997. This article summarizes and highlights the progress toward accelerated rubella control and CRS prevention in the English-speaking Caribbean and in Chile, Costa Rica, and Brazil. Useful knowledge is being generated for the adaptation of similar rubella strategies elsewhere. The findings also document the feasibility of implementing the recommended strategies and their rapid impact on disease burden.

Monitoring measles eradication in the region of the Americas: critical activities and tools.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss methods recommended and used by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to monitor the interruption of indigenous measles transmission in the Region of the Americas. The methods used include house-to-house monitoring of vaccination coverage as a supervisory tool during both campaigns and routine vaccination; thoroughly investigating all measles outbreaks; performing routine surveillance, including weekly reporting from at least 80% of reporting units; and validating routine surveillance through active-case searches at health care institutions and schools and in the community. The strategies described have helped PAHO to increase the authority and accountability of vaccine program managers at the local, provincial, and national levels. Their efforts have permitted the Region of the Americas to reduce to three the number of countries with indigenous measles transmission and to reach a record low of 503 measles cases in 2001.