Measles Initiative in China's Earthquake Zone

Washington, DC, November 10, 2008 – The Measles Initiative is supporting the government of the People's Republic of China in providing measles vaccines to more than 7.3 million children, implementing additional measles control activities and strengthening the delivery of routine immunization in Chongqing Municipality, and provinces of Gansu, Shaanxi and Sichuan – areas severely impacted by the 8.0 magnitude earthquake that struck six months ago.

"Given the scope of this disaster, which affected 46 million people, it is vital that we continue to protect children who have been made vulnerable to infectious diseases like measles," said David Meltzer, Senior Vice President of International Services for the American Red Cross. "By supporting these activities, we will ensure that millions of children receive life-saving vaccinations, while also helping to restore the health infrastructure in the affected region."

The devastating earthquake took the lives of more than 70,000 people, and left some 5 million homeless. It also destroyed buildings and infrastructure, including health and immunization facilities. The Initiative is helping restore and strengthen these health systems, including replacing immunization infrastructure, conducting training, supporting school-age vaccinations, expanding outreach to unimmunized children, and conducting disease surveillance and outbreak investigations.

The Measles Initiative is providing technical assistance and nearly $4 million in financial support for these activities including a vaccination campaign in Chongqing where there continues to be a high incidence of measles. This campaign will protect the children of Chongqing and minimize the risk of introducing measles in Sichuan province, the area hardest hit by the quake.

"Because measles has a high potential for outbreaks, mass vaccination of children against the disease is often a high priority for populations following a natural disaster," said Dr Edward Hoekstra, UNICEF's Senior Health Specialist and Coordinator of UNICEF's Measles Program. "This is especially true for children who have been displaced and are living in crowded conditions."

Already the provinces of Shaanxi and Sichuan have completed province-wide vaccination campaigns in 2007-2008 as part of the country's commitment to eliminating measles in China by 2012. The Sichuan campaign was completed with support from the Measles Initiative just prior to the earthquake, and may have prevented outbreaks in the wake of the disaster. However, given the extent of damage following the earthquake, support for routine immunization services is critical.

 The Measles Initiative is a partnership committed to reducing measles deaths globally. Launched in 2001, the Initiative - led by the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF and the World Health Organization - provides technical and financial support to governments and communities on vaccination campaigns worldwide. To date, the Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 500 million children in more than 60 countries helping reduce measles deaths by more than 68% globally and 91% in Africa (compared to 2000).

To learn more or make a donation, visit www.measlesinitiative.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Christy Feig, American Red Cross, Washington, DC, +1202 303-5074, FeigC@usa.redcross.org
Casey Boudreau, CDC, Atlanta, +1404 639-8404, znc5@cdc.gov
Amy DiElsi, UN Foundation, Washington, DC, +1202 419-3230, adielsi@unfoundation.org
Dale Rutstein, UNICEF, Beijing, +8610 6532-3131 ext 1301, drutstein@unicef.org
Nyka Alexander, WHO China, Beijing, +86 1391-120-5167 alexandern@wpro.who.int