Measles under control

WASHINGTON, DC – The Pan-American Health Organization ((PAHO) says there has been no endemic transmission of measles in the Americas, including the Caribbean, since 2002.

PAHO said since Venezuela reported the last case in 2001, measles deaths have “disappeared from the region.”

“These successes, achieved by the countries of the Americas with support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO), make the Americas the first region in the world to eliminate one of the world’s most contagious diseases and a leading cause of death for young children,” said PAHO in a statement here.

It said key reasons for the success include high rates of vaccination coverage in regional countries and early detection of cases.

However, PAHO said the region continues to face the threat of imported cases from countries outside this hemisphere, where the virus still circulates.