PROGRESS TOWARDS MEASLES ELIMINATION – EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN REGION, 2008–2012

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During the period 2008–2012, regional progress towards measles elimination stagnated, and the number of reported measles cases increased  >2-fold, mainly because of large outbreaks in several countries. During 2008–2012, >80% of reported measles cases were from Afghanistan, Djibouti, Iraq, Pakistan,  Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen. Increased civil conflict and insecurity in several countries since 2011 coincided with an increase in reported measles cases. The report concludes that with the resurgence of measles in some EMR countries, the Region’s target of measles elimination by 2015 is not likely to be achieved on time. The detailed weekly epidemiological report can be dowloaded from: http://www.who.int/wer/2014/wer8924/en/