Measles Initiative Heads Into Zambia

June 9, 2003 — In Zambia, measles is a leading cause of childhood mortality and one of the five major causes of childhood illness. Although the statistics sound high to those in the United States, where vaccinations have eliminated the deadly scourge, measles is much too common around the world. Annually, measles kills nearly 800,000 children globally. More than 450,000 of those children live in Africa.

Every year, measles kills nearly 800,000 children around the world, the majority of whom live in Africa.

Perhaps the most tragic statistic of all, however, is the fact that the 800,000 measles deaths could have been prevented with a vaccine that costs less than $1 per child.

Two years ago, there were 33,518 reported measles cases in Zambia, approximately half occurring in children under five years old. To combat its continued grip on the nation, the Measles Initiative launched a campaign in Zambia on Saturday (June 8) to vaccinate 5.2 million children. By June 14, the campaign will have saved an estimated 4,000 lives of children between the ages of nine months and 14 years old, who make up approximately 45% of Zambia’s population.

The six-day endeavor is the first mass vaccination campaign of 2003, following in the footsteps of campaigns conducted in 13 African nations over the past two years.

In 2001, the American Red Cross, recognizing a need for immediate intervention against the spread of measles, joined forces with the United Nations Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund to launch the Measles Initiative.

A long-term commitment to control measles deaths in Africa, the goal of the Measles Initiative is to vaccinate 200 million children and prevent 1.2 million deaths over five years.

Mass vaccination campaigns are crucial to reducing measles deaths in countries where routine immunization does not reach at least 90% of the targeted population, the percentage needed to stop transmission of the disease. Campaigns are a second opportunity for measles vaccinations with emphasis on hard to reach communities and are carried out for several days for children in the targeted age range. Follow-up campaigns occur three to four years after the initial mass campaigns for children under five years of age who were born since the first mass campaign.

Already, successful mass vaccination campaigns have been held in Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Swaziland, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Uganda, which prevented the loss of an estimated 100,000 lives.

Zambia is the first country targeted for 14 campaigns in the Measles Initiative’s third year. Upcoming campaigns will be held in: Zambia, Rwanda, Senegal, Angola, Uganda, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Gambia, Lesotho, Namibia, Ethiopia, DR Congo and Cote d’Ivoire.

Additional Armor Against Childhood Illness

As the campaign in Zambia gets underway, volunteers are providing local residents with additional armor against childhood illnesses - vitamin A and insecticide-treated nets (ITNs).

”Vitamin A will be distributed to children under five years old,” said Dr. Mark Grabowsky, senior technical advisor for the American Red Cross. “It will improve overall child health and build immune systems against other diseases.”

Helping to combat the fight against other deadly diseases, including malaria, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and UNICEF have procured 75,000 ITNs to hang over beds for protection against mosquitoes.

It costs less than $1 to vaccinate a child against measles.

ITNs are a simple measure in the combat against malaria and will be distributed to every parent accompanying a child to designated vaccination posts. Zambian Red Cross volunteers will also make follow-up visits to homes to insure they are being properly used.

According to the World Health Organization, malaria is the leading cause of death among children under five years old in Africa. “Clinical trials have demonstrated that insecticide-treated bed nets prevent malaria,” said Dr. Mark Grabowsky. “The problem has been in distributing them to all of the families with children under five years old. By giving out ITNs during measles vaccination campaigns, we can achieve very high coverage.” Using ITNs led to a 17% decrease in all-cause child mortality for families that participated in a previous clinical trial in Ghana during December 2002.

Right to Play, a humanitarian organization committed to improving the lives of the most disadvantaged children and their communities, has also joined the Zambia campaign to support community social mobilization through sport and play.

Sports festivals in selected districts will be held with the support of Kalusha Bwalya, a well known Zambian soccer player as the face of the campaign.

“Social mobilization is crucial in hard to reach areas,” said Dr. Ed Hoekstra, Senior Advisor of the Global Measles Program for UNICEF. “By reaching out to mothers and caretakers we can make sure that no child is missed and measles transmission can be stopped.”

What You Can Do to Help

It costs less than $1 to vaccinate a child against measles. You can join the fight against measles and help save children's lives today by donating to the Measles Initiative.

Donations to the Measles Initiative can be mailed to your local Red Cross chapter or by calling 1-800-HELP NOW.

Secure online credit card donations can be made by visiting www.redcross.org/donate/donate.html.

Related Links:

• Zambia Mass Measles Vaccination Campaign First on Measles Initiative's 2003 Schedule
• The Measles Initiative
• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
• The United Nations Foundation
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• The United Nations Children's Fund
• The World Health Organization

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