Measles in Morocco: epidemiological profile and impact of vaccination strategy.

Thursday, 18th of August 2016

Adv Ther. 2015 Feb;32(2):172-83. doi: 10.1007/s12325-015-0188-2. Epub 2015 Mar 3.

Measles in Morocco: epidemiological profile and impact of vaccination strategy.

Cheikh A¹ Ziani M Cheikh Z Barakat A El Menzhi O Braikat M Benomar A Cherrah Y El Hassani A.

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Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

Measles continues to persist as one of the leading causes of infant mortality due to preventable diseases through vaccination. This study aims to highlight measles in Morocco and to present the vaccination strategy implemented to control and eliminate the disease in this country.

METHODS:

Throughout this study and based on data from the Directorate of Epidemiology and Control of Diseases and those of the Directorate of Population we present an overview on the epidemiological trends of measles from 1997 to 2012 while evoking the plans established by the Ministry of Health (MoH) for the control and elimination of this disease.

RESULTS:

The number of measles cases has decreased in Morocco between 1997 and 2012 (2574-720 reported cases per year) as a result of four important steps: first increasing the routine vaccination coverage (73-94%); second the introduction of the second dose of the combined vaccine against measles and rubella in schools (children aged 6 years) since 2003; third the first catch-up campaign of vaccination in Morocco in 2008 for which coverage was highly satisfactory (96% and 100% for age groups 5-59 months and 5-14 years respectively); and fourth the organization of a mass vaccination campaign in 2013 that targeted children from aged 9 months to 19 years.

CONCLUSION:

The vaccination plan and the surveillance system executed in Morocco within the framework of the regional project implemented by the World Health Organization (WHO) to eliminate measles has given remarkable results regarding the reduction of measles cases and mortality due to this disease. According to the data from MoH and WHO the number of reported and confirmed measles cases decreased drastically during 2014. However these efforts are still unsatisfactory compared to the prospective of eliminating the disease by 2015.