The India Expert Advisory Group on Measles and Rubella has commended India on the progress of vaccination campaign for these two diseases.
The expert group consisting of national and international experts reviewed the existing strategies and efforts towards measles elimination and control of rubella with the Health Ministry. According to an official release, the expert group noted that the country is on the right track in tackling these two diseases.
Presently 13 states have been covered under the vaccination campaign and the Ministry has planned to expand it across the country, covering 41 crore children by the end of 2018. The Group also recommended to strengthen the surveillance for these diseases and to expand the laboratory network.
Health Secretary Preeti Sudan said that the country is fully committed to achieving the goal of measles elimination and rubella control to protect children from these diseases. Measles kills an estimated 49 thousand children in India every year, which is about 37 percent of the global deaths.India has set an ambitious goal to eliminate measles from the country.
