Second Meeting of the South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission for Measles Elimination and Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome Control

Overview

The Regional Verification Commission for Measles Elimination and Rubella/Congenital Rubella Syndrome Control for the South-East Asia Region (SEA-RVC) was established by the Regional Director for WHO South-East Asia in March 2016 to verify progress towards measles elimination and rubella/congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) control in the Region. The second meeting of the SEA-RVC was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 18 to 20 April 2017.

The key objective of the meeting was to review the country progress reports on measles elimination and rubella/CRS control submitted by the national verification committees (NVCs) and provide recommendations.

The methodology for review of individual country progress reports was based on the guidelines for verification of measles elimination and rubella/CRS in the WHO South-East Asia Region endorsed by the SEA-RVC during its first meeting in 2016.

Following an extensive review of evidence, the SEA-RVC verified Maldives as having eliminated endemic measles. The SEA-RVC also verified Bhutan as having eliminated endemic measles based on current evidence provided. The SEA-RVC recommended that the NVC for Bhutan submit a report on the upcoming supplementary immunization activity (SIA) within one month of completion of the activity. The SEA-RVC requested that the NVC for Bhutan produce a summary of the lines of evidence demonstrating interruption of endemic measles transmission by July 2017; this summary should incorporate the comments made during the second SEA-RVC meeting. The SEA-RVC categorized the remaining countries of the Region as endemic for measles transmission.

The focus of the second meeting was on evaluation of the progress towards measles elimination in countries of the Region. However, significant information was also provided by countries during the meeting on progress towards rubella/CRS control. The SEA-RVC decided to review and discuss rubella/CRS information during the third SEA-RVC meeting in 2018.

The SEA-RVC acknowledged the countries for the high level of commitment shown by the governments, in particular national Expanded Programmes on Immunization (EPIs) and surveillance programmes, and the measles-rubella laboratory network. The SEA-RVC also acknowledged the important role played by all stakeholders concerned with measles elimination and rubella/CRS control in the Region. The SEA-RVC identified government commitment and stakeholder engagement as key to achieving the Regional measles elimination and rubella/CRS control goal of 2020.

The SEA-RVC made a number of recommendations to WHO, NVCs and countries to ensure that significant progress is made towards achieving the 2020 goal of measles elimination and rubella/CRS control for the South-East Asia Region.