 |
 |
Media Home | Contact Us
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
|
Media Home | Contact Us |
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||
| PRESS CONTACT: Division of Media Relations CDC, Office of Communication (404) 639-3286 |
No summary available.
Despite the availability of a safe, effective and inexpensive
vaccine for 40 years, measles remains the leading cause of
vaccine-preventable deaths in childhood.
| PRESS CONTACT: Peter Strebel, MD CDC, National Immunization Program (770) 331鈥?781 |
Measles was responsible for 770,000 deaths globally in 2000. Of these measles-associated deaths, 98% occurred in the 75 countries with gross domestic products of <$1,000 per capita, and 58% occurred in the WHO region of Africa. Reducing the high burden of measles will require a comprehensive approach. Affected countries will need to achieve high coverage in each district and nationally with the first dose of measles vaccine administered through routine services to children (who are nine months of age or shortly thereafter). This approach should be followed with a second opportunity for measles immunization for all children, the establishment of effective surveillance for measles, and improved case management.
The very high crude mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) is much higher than it was in 1997, the year before the outbreak
of war.
| PRESS CONTACT: Les Roberts, PhD, MSPH International Rescue Committee (607) 863鈥?675 |
While health conditions in the eastern DRC have improved, this report indicates that they remain among the worst recorded conditions anywhere in the world. People continue to die of easily treatable infectious diseases at a rate that is three times greater than normal for this region. Health services most urgently needed include: supporting local clinics to assure their capacity to treat malaria and diarrhea, and vaccinating children against measles. Diplomatic efforts are continuing to aid the peace process and increase humanitarian relief.
| PRESS CONTACT: Division of Media Relations CDC, Office of Communication (404) 639鈥?286 |
No summary available.
|
|
|
CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z This page last reviewed May 23, 2003 Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention |
