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American Red Cross Fights Measles in the Maldives
Brian Hatchell, Press Officer, American Red Cross Tsunami Recovery Program
Tuesday, February 07, 2006 — The American Red Cross, its Measles Initiative partners and the Government of the Maldives are working hand in hand to eliminate measles from this Indian Ocean archipelago. From Dec. 4, 2005 to Jan. 4, 2006, nearly half the population of this island nation, approximately 293,000, was vaccinated against this deadly disease.
Measles is the leading vaccine-preventable cause of death worldwide, killing an estimated 480,000 children each year. The disease can be prevented with a simple vaccination that costs less than one dollar per child. As part the Measles Initiative, launched in 2001, the American Red Cross and its partners – including the United Nations Foundation, UNICEF, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization (WHO) – are dedicated to reducing measles-related deaths by 90 percent by 2010. To date, the Measles Initiative has vaccinated more than 200 million children in more than 40 African countries, saving approximately 1.2 million lives. In 2005, the initiative expanded into countries in Asia.
Mohamed Shaheed, Deputy Director of the Maldives Ministry of Health, said that this program has set an incredible precedent for what can be accomplished when government works in collaboration with humanitarian organizations.
“Measles is one of the major health problems in the Maldives. Over the last couple of years we have had a couple of outbreaks,” said Shaheed. “One of the goals of the campaign is the complete elimination of measles from the Maldives. We believe this program will definitely improve the health of the country and save lives.”
The Maldives was one of more than a dozen countries impacted by the Indian Ocean tsunami on Dec. 26, 2004, which left many of the islands completely submerged – destroying homes, contaminating clean water supplies and washing away boats and nets. In the aftermath, many people were forced to live in crowded temporary shelter camps, increasing their susceptibility to the spread of disease. The American Red Cross is committed to addressing the underlying vulnerabilities of populations in the affected areas, including programs in community health and disease control. Working with the local authorities, the American Red Cross identified measles prevention as a way of protecting the residents of the Maldives.
While the initiative partners have a history of collaboration, they faced some unique challenges for this campaign. The Maldives is a vertical chain of 1,200 islands, 200 of which are inhabited. The capital, Male, is home to 75,000 people, while the remaining 218,000 people are spread across the other islands, some of which take eight to ten hours to reach by boat. Many of these islands consist of small clusters of families whose members work as fishermen or in hotels and are often away from home for long periods of time.
A nurse administers a Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccine to one of the thousands of young girls who received an inoculation during the one month campaign in the Maldives. (Photo Credit: Kelly Bauer/American Red Cross)
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Traveling primarily via water taxis, the medical teams moved from island to island visiting clinics in schools, community buildings or temporary locations to administer the vaccines. Over four weeks they vaccinated more than 80 percent of the targeted population, which consisted of males between ages 6 and 25, and females ages 6 to 35, encompassing women of child bearing age.
Among those who received the vaccines were Aishath Shareef’s two children, seven-year-old Mohamed and ten-year-old Mariyam. Though the kids complained that the needles really hurt, Shareef is pleased that she participated in the program.
“Neither of my children has ever been to a doctor for any disease prevention,” said Shareef. “I heard about the vaccination program on radio and television and how important it is for children to get the shots. I hope this will help them grow up strong and healthy.”
Dr. Ananda Amarsinghe of the WHO said the public awareness campaign featured television and print ads with local celebrities. Radio stations also ran give-away contests and mobile phone companies used text messages to encourage participation.
Due to the success of the public awareness campaign organizers noticed a significantly higher participation rate by males aged 16 to 25. (Photo Credit: BriaKelly Bauer/American Red Cross)
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“Normally compliance rate for males ages 16 to 25 is significantly lower than females in the same age range. But because of the successful awareness campaign we noticed the compliance rates were very similar,” said Amarsinghe. “Since the vaccines were provided free of charge by the American Red Cross, no one was excluded for financial reasons.”
Follow-up campaigns will be launched in April and May to reach people who may have missed the original campaign because they were fishing, working at a resort, or pregnant.
Hassan Raeef’s 15-year-old daughter Mariyam Rafla also received a vaccination. He says the younger generation is much more conscious than their parents or grandparents about health issues.
“When she heard of this program, she checked online and came and told me it is very important to get vaccinated,” said Raeff. “There was a time when people wouldn’t go to doctors or hospitals, but because of public awareness programs people are more educated and aware of the importance of vaccination programs.”
This is the first time in the country’s history a mass vaccination program of this nature has been conducted. Organizers took the opportunity to provide rubella vaccines as part of this campaign. Next year, they will follow up by providing children five years of age and younger with measles, mumps and rubella vaccines.
Editor's Note: The originally published version of this story was edited on March 2, 2006, to correct the photo credit.
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