Measles Initiative Update
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
By: Bonnie McElveen-Hunter

December 2009

Measles Initiative Update

Today, the American Red Cross joined with our partners United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization to announce a remarkable achievement.

In less than a decade, we saved an estimated 4.3 million children.

We did so by vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles, through large-scale immunization campaigns and increased routine immunization. Our Measles Initiative demonstrates the power of public-private partnership to address one of the world’s toughest health challenges.

Much of this success is due to the hard work and dedication of the communities themselves —including health workers and the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who go house-to-house ensuring that mothers and caregivers know about upcoming campaigns and the importance of getting their children vaccinated against measles.

One such Red Cross volunteer, Anton Chilufya from Zambia, represents what a community can do when it is supported by a global initiative. When parents were unable to take their children to the vaccination post, Anton and thousands like him rode their bicycles to the most remote villages to personally collect them, ensuring that no child went without the opportunity.

With partners and volunteers like these, we will succeed at our goal reducing measles deaths by 90% worldwide between 2000 and 2010. All regions of the world, with the exception of one, have already reached this target, two years ahead of the deadline.

But our success is fragile and serious challenges remain.

Every day an estimated 450 people still die unnecessarily from measles.

This virus is resilient. If we drop our guard, this disease will regain a foothold, and we will lose the progress we have made. To stay vigilant we need your help.

In 2010, we are poised to vaccinate the greatest number of children ever before in one year. Some of the most populous countries China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are planning national immunization campaigns.

For each dollar donated, we can immunize one child and provide lifetime protection against this deadly disease. Give thanks for the healthy children in your life this holiday season, and help save another mother's child across the globe through our gift catalog. By working together, we have proven that we can save lives yesterday, today and tomorrow.