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Measles, caused by the measles virus, emerged around the 11th and 12th century. The disease spreads rapidly and is extremely deadly.  The measles disease is characterized by painful red rashes, fever, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes as the most common symptoms.

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Measles is a common infection in children and is spread by the respiratory route. It is characterized by a prodromal illness of fever, coryza, cough, and conjunctivitis followed by appearance of a generalized maculopapular rash. Measles virus (MeV) infects approximately 30 million people annually, with a mortality of 197,000, mainly in developing countries [ 1]. In the prevaccine era, more than 90% of 15-year-old children had a history of measles [ 2]. Measles remains a major cause of mortality in children, particularly in areas with inadequate vaccination and medical care.

MeV infection can confer lifelong immunity [ 3, 4], and there is no animal reservoir or evidence of latent or common persistent infection except for subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). Therefore, maintenance of MeV in a population requires constant supply of susceptible individuals. If the population is too small to establish continuous transmission, the virus can be eliminated [ 5]. Mathematical analyses have shown that a naïve population of 250,000-500,000 is needed to maintain MeV [ 6- 8]. This is approximately the population of the earliest urban civilizations in ancient Middle Eastern river valleys around 3000-2500 BCE [ 6, 9, 10]. Historically, the first scientific description of measles-like syndrome was provided by Abu Becr, known as Rhazes, in the 9 th century. However, small pox was accurately described by Galen in the 2 nd second century whereas measles was not. Epidemics identified as measles were recorded in the 11 th and 12 th centuries [ 9- 11].

MeV is a member of the genus Morbillivirus, which belongs to the family Paramyxoviridae[ 12]. In addition to MeV, Morbillivirus includes dolphin and porpoise morbillivirus, canine distemper virus, phocid distemper virus, peste des petits ruminants virus, and rinderpest virus (RPV) [ 12, 13]. Genetically and antigenetically, MeV is most closely related to RPV, which is a pathogen of cattle [ 12, 14]. MeV is assumed to have evolved in an environment where cattle and humans lived in close proximity [ 11]. MeV probably evolved after commencement of livestock farming in the early centers of civilization in the Middle East. The speculation accords with mathematical analyses as mentioned above [ 6, 9, 10].

Molecular clock analysis can estimate the age of ancestors in evolutionary history by phylogenetic patterns [ 15, 16]. The basic approach to estimating molecular dates is to measure the genetic distance between species and use a calibration rate (the number of genetic changes expected per unit time) to convert the genetic distance to time. Pomeroy et al. showed that "Time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor" (TMRCA: the age of the sampled genetic diversity) of the current MeV circulating worldwide is recent, i.e., within the last century (around 1943) [ 17]. Nevertheless, the time when MeV was introduced to human populations has not been investigated until date. In the present study, we performed molecular clock analysis on MeV to determine the time of divergence from RPV, suggesting the evolutionary path of the virus.

MeV sequences were downloaded from GenBank and aligned using ClustalW. Additional file 1 includes a list of accession numbers for sequences used in this study. Sequences of the hemagglutinin (H) and nucleocapsid (N) genes collected worldwide between 1954 and 2009 were used. The H and N genes were selected for analyses since their sequences are registered commonly. Sequences associated with the persistent disease manifestation SSPE were removed because these were expected to exhibit different evolutionary dynamics [ 18]. To avoid weighting specific outbreaks, we also excluded sequences that had been collected at the same time and place and that were genetically similar to each other. Consequently, the final data sets comprised 149 taxa with an alignment length of 1830 bp for the H gene and 66 taxa with an alignment length of 1578 bp for the N gene.

To determine the divergence time between MeV and RPV, sequences of peste des petits ruminants virus [GenBank: FJ750560 and FJ750563] were used to define the root of divergence between MeV and RPV.

The rates of nucleotide substitutions per site and TMRCA were estimated using the Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method available in the BEAST package [ 19, 20]. This method analyzes the distribution of branch lengths among viruses isolated at different times (year of collection) among millions of sampled trees. For each data set, the best-fit model of nucleotide substitution was determined using MODELTEST [ 21] in HyPhy [ 22]. All models were compared using Akaike's Information Criterion. For both the H and N genes, the favored models were closely related to the most general GTR + Gamma + Inv model. Statistical uncertainty in parameter values across the sampled trees was expressed as 95% highest probability density (HPD) values. Runs were carried out with chain lengths of 100 million and the assumption of an 'exponential population growth' using a 'relaxed (uncorrelated lognormal) molecular clocks' [ 23]. All other parameters were optimized during the burn-in period. The output from BEAST was analyzed using the program TRACER http://beast.bio.ed.ac.uk/Tracer. BEAST analysis was also used to deduce the maximum a posteriori (MAP) tree for each data set, in which tip times correspond to the year of sampling.

The Bayesian approach assumed varied rates by branch. Using the Bayesian estimate, our analysis derived a mean evolutionary rate of 6.02 × 10⁻⁴ substitutions/site/year for the N gene and 6.44 × 10⁻⁴ substitutions/site/year for the H gene (Table 1). Based on this approach by analyses for the N gene, 1921 was estimated to be the TMRCA of the current MeV (Figure 1). Date of divergence between MeV and RPV was 1171. Analyses for the H gene yielded similar results; the TMRCA of the current MeV was 1916. 1074 was estimated to be the date of divergence between MeV and RPV.

Bayesian estimates of divergence time. Maximum a posteriori (MAP) tree of the N gene. Tip times reflect the year of sampling. Internal nodes have error bars of 95% credible intervals on their date.

Our results indicate that divergence of MeV from RPV occurred around the 11th to 12th centuries. The population size at that time was sufficient for maintaining MeV. However, this result was unexpected because emergence of MeV was previously considered to have occurred in the prehistoric age [ 6, 7, 9, 10]. Estimation errors seem unlikely since Bayesian approach yielded results which are compatible with other reports. In general, substitution rates between 10⁻³ and 10⁻⁴ substitutions/site/year have been previously estimated for RNA viruses including MeV [ 17, 24, 25]. Pomeroy et al. also found that the date of divergence of the current MeV was within the last century [ 17].

In the prevaccine era, over 90 percent of children is infected with MeV by age 15 [ 2]. Nevertheless, measles has been rarely described earlier. An increasing number of descriptions of measles in the 11 th and 12 th centuries may reflect the emergence of MeV in human populations at that time [ 9- 11]. Linguistic evidence suggests that the disease was recognized before the Germanic migrations but after the fragmentation of the Roman Empire, i.e., between 5 th and 7 th centuries [ 10, 11]. This age is still within 95% credible intervals of our results. Alternatively, a common ancestor of MeV and RPV may have caused zoonosis in the past; the archaeovirus can infect both humans and cattle. Even if the earliest urban civilizations in ancient Middle Eastern river valleys (around 3000 to 2500 BCE) were infected by an ancestor of the current MeV, the virus probably had different characteristics from the current MeV.

Emerging infectious diseases have recently caused significant morbidity and mortality. Many diseases are caused by viruses originating in non-human species [ 26]: HIV from non-human primates [ 27]; SARS coronavirus from bats [ 28]; and the pandemic strain of influenza virus in 2009 from swine [ 29]. MeV may have originated from non-human species and caused emerging infectious diseases around the 11 th to 12 th centuries. In such cases, investigating measles would give important information about the course of emerging infectious diseases after their introduction into the human population, from evolutionary and epidemiological perspectives.

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Origin of measles virus: divergence from rinderpest virus between the 11 th and 12 th centuries

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Measles, caused by measles virus (MeV), is a common infection in children. MeV is a member of the genus Morbillivirus and is most closely related to rinderpest virus (RPV), which is a pathogen of cattle. MeV is thought to have evolved in an environment where cattle and humans lived in close proximity.

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In 1963, the measles vaccine was developed by Maurice Hilleman.

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The current vaccine, the MMR, protects against measles, mumps and rubella.

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The article discusses the fact there has been a surge in measles cases around the world. In first world countries, such as the U.S., England and Israel, there has been a rise in cases, despite the vaccine being readily available. Simultaneously, in developing countries such as Sudan, Kazakhstan and Zimbabwe, the measles disease is spreading at unprecedented rates.

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'Crisis' is not a word that should be used lightly, and public health officials know that better than most. Upon reviewing this year's ongoing measles research, the directors of both WHO and UNICEF, however, are personally convinced.

"We are in the middle of a global measles crisis," they together declared in a recent opinion piece for CNN.

Whether their agencies ultimately issue the same warning remains to be seen, but so far, data show that the trend is irrefutable. Within the first three months of 2019, a preliminary survey from the World Health Organisation (WHO) has tallied a 300 percent increase in measles cases around the world.

In some regions, like Africa, the numbers have risen 700 percent from the year before. And these are just the ones we know about. WHO estimates that more than 90 percent of all global cases go unreported.

"By the time you finish reading this, we estimate that at least 40 people - most of them children - will be infected by this fast-moving, life-threatening disease," write Henrietta Fore, the executive director of UNICEF, and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of WHO, in their shared piece.

Today, all regions of the world are experiencing a surge in measles cases, even in countries with high vaccinations rates, like the US, Thailand and Israel. Then again, all it takes is one gap in coverage, or one hole in the boat, for things to get out of control.

Right now, there are ongoing measles outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Madagascar, Myanmar, Philippines, Sudan, Thailand and Ukraine.

And while many people in these countries are clamouring for vaccines, New York's recent public health emergency has more to do with medical hesitancy.

Earlier this year, WHO listed fear of vaccines as one of the most dire threats to human health in 2019, and just a few months later, that concern appears entirely justified.

With measles outbreaks in New York, Washington, California, and New Jersey, the United States has already counted more cases of this disease than all the 12 months of 2018 combined.

"We welcome initial steps taken by digital companies such as Facebook, Amazon and YouTube to quarantine these vaccine myths," Fore and Ghebreyesus write, "but it will take much more - not only from these online platforms but from governments, individuals and the health community - to make sure all children get their vaccines at the right time."

Measles is one of the most infectious diseases on the planet, and before we had ourselves an effective vaccine, nearly all children got this potentially fatal disease by the time they were 15 years of age.

Since 2000, an estimated 20 million lives have been saved by this immunisation, and that's essentially what's at stake. The directors warn that unless the world stands up for science, for health, and for vaccines, more people will pay the price for our complacency.

If that's not a crisis now, it soon will be.

The preliminary data were published online by the World Health Organisation.

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Measles Is Now a 'Global Health Crisis' With a 300% Surge in Cases Worldwide

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'Crisis' is not a word that should be used lightly, and public health officials know that better than most. Upon reviewing this year's ongoing measles research, the directors of both WHO and UNICEF, however, are personally convinced. "We are in the middle of a global measles crisis," they together declared in a recent opinion piece for CNN.

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First world countries are experiencing an alarming resurgence in measles. This is due to a group of parents who are anti-vaccination and the disease being imported back to the country from abroad. The anti-vaccination group is creating a 'gap in coverage' that are leaving part of the population vulnerable to catching the disease. Without getting the vaccine, an individual can easily catch and spread a disease. Their ideology is based off a belief system rather than fact such as vaccines causing mental health issues. The resurgence in disease has forced communities to reevaluate their vaccination policies for public service jobs and the school system. Further, it just takes one individual to transport the disease to a first world country, like the U.S.; resulting in outbreaks of individuals who have not been vaccinated or have not gotten immunity from the vaccination. In the global economy of the 21st century, the flow of people and goods will easily transport a disease across continents and oceans, especially when the disease is in the incubation period and no symptoms have appeared yet.

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Measles outbreak prompts state of emergency in NYC suburb

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Outbreaks of the measles disease are being seen all throughout the U.S.; communities are being hit by measles outbreaks which are putting the health of the entire community into question. The video below stresses the importance of getting vaccinated in order to protect those who can not. Those who can not get vaccinated either have medical conditions, allergies to the MMR vaccine or are too young; not an ideology belief against vaccines.

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Measles outbreak is largest in US in 25 years, CDC says

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In society today, there is a dark cloud around vaccinations. The stigma around vaccines causing autism is not backed by science yet is striking fear in parents across first world countries. A fifth of Canada's population believe that there is a correlation in vaccines and autism, which is shown in the fact that only 88% of the country is getting vaccinated. Autism is a sporadic condition; environmental factors play a greater role instead of genetic factors.

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Since 2003, there have been nine CDC-funded or conducted studies that have found no link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and ASD. These studies also found no link between the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and ASD in children. Learn more about the CDC Studies on Thimerosal in Vaccines pdf icon [PDF - 2 pages] .

Even before studies showed that thimerosal was not harmful, there was a national effort to reduce all types of mercury exposures in children. As precaution, thimerosal was removed or reduced to trace amounts in all childhood vaccines between 1999 and 2001. Currently, the only type of vaccine that contain thimerosal are flu vaccines packaged in multidose vials. There are thimerosal-free alternatives available for flu vaccine. For more information, see the Timeline for Thimerosal in Vaccines.

Besides thimerosal, some people have had concerns about other vaccine ingredients in relation to ASD. However, no links have been found between any vaccine ingredients and ASD.

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There is no link between autism and any vaccine or vaccine ingredient. Get the facts and the latest science from CDC.

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Vaccinations are used in society to help individuals to fight off preventable diseases. Not getting a vaccination increases the likelihood of getting a preventable disease. By not getting the MMR vaccination, you as a parent are allowing there to be a greater chance that your child will catch diseases such as measles, mumps or rubella and suffer with the painful symptoms. Subsequently, by not vaccinating your children, individuals who are not able to get the vaccine due to age restrictions are left vulnerable - 'it only takes a single hole to sink a ship'. The mentality of my children will be okay because everyone else is already vaccinated is extremely flawed; it creates an atmosphere that everyone will be fine because the rest of society will do the right thing such as getting your child vaccinated.

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For everyone, life is challenging. You are thrown task and situations that seem impossible to handle, however each person can percever. Yet for an individual with autism, challenges are seen more publicly, such as fixating on a moving object, learning to process a conversation in a timely manner or reading social cues in a spontaneous situation. Although the lows seem deep, the highs these individuals have are like no other; such as the pure joy of getting promoted at work, graduating in your field of choice and traveling to dream destination.

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When you're walking through a store or sitting in a restaurant, you might not think twice about what's going on around you. For those with autism who have sensory issues, that's a different story. Hypersensitivities to sights, sounds, smells, taste, and touch are common -especially bright lights and loud noises-which can make someone with autism feel very overwhelmed. That also includes hyposensitivities due to under-responsiveness to signals that help control balance and coordination, which can lead to clumsiness.

Some people like to switch their day-to-days up, but for those with autism, it's very . If anything goes off-course from the important to have a consistent routine norm, a meltdown could be triggered due to the panic they feel about an unexpected change, even as small as it may be. If there a change that needs to be made, it needs to be communicated in a clear, descriptive way in order to make them feel comfortable and calm throughout the process.

Sometimes those with autism are mistaken for being rude, just because of how brutally honest and blunt they are. Even though they're just saying what they're thinking or feeling, the directive nature of their communiques can be interpreted as insensitive and possibly offensive, even if that's not at all what they meant to do.

With the sensory issues that come from having autism, some individuals have a very strong sensitivity to touch. Because of that, being touched-whether it's a hug from a parent or significant other, or a pat on the back from an acquaintance-can be a very unpleasant experience .

Making eye contact is a common way many people show interest while having a conversation, but it's challenging for those with autism. According to Autism Speaks , eye contact can actually make those with autism less able to focus on what's being said.

Individuals with autism often have trouble relating to others. "You try to act like other people do, you try to blend in with their weird little social rituals. You try to understand why they do what they do from their perspective, ideally, but you can't necessarily relate to why they do what they do," says D.G. Swain, who has autism. "You do your best to mimic them and go through the motions, and you can pass as them for a little while, but it's hard."

Having a career can sometimes be tough with autism. Not only is it hard adjusting to new routines and a work environment, but it can also be tricky dealing with co-workers and a boss-especially if they're not familiar with the disorder. If they don't understand autism, it can be a real challenge to work well together and meet each other's needs.

When someone's being sarcastic to you, you probably pick up on it fairly quickly. For someone with autism, that's not the case. They take things more literally and are unable to Michael Barton, who has high-functioning autism. read body language that indicates a joke is a joke. "They don't understand things such as sarcasm, irony, euphemisms, or any expression that's a different way of saying what you mean,"

has found those with autism usually display Past research facial expressions that don't always mirror the emotions they're feeling-some of which can be "overly intense and unusual." Though they experience emotion and have expressive faces, the facial expressions showcasing those emotions tend to be seen as less natural than those who don't have autism.

People with autism often become fixated on one thing, and in that moment, nothing else matters-it's the most important thing in their life. "It could be how the towels are folded -one of my big ones-or how the pencils are aligned, or putting all the little cars in a row, or only eating the vowels out of the Alphabits cereal," says Swain.

Those with autism are known for being single-minded, and something that typically comes hand-in-hand with that is zoning in on a special interest. This could be a hobby they love, a career they enjoy-basically anything that captures their attention and makes them want to spend all their time on it. According to Ambitious About Autism , these interests can also turn into obsessions.

Anxiety issues are common with those who have autism, whether they're children or adults. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) , it's not a core feature of the disorder, but it's not an uncommon one and presents itself through things like phobias, compulsions, social anxiety, and separation anxiety. There can also be a lot of anxiety around food and eating.

To discover more amazing secrets about living your best life, to follow us on Instagram!

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This Is What It's Like to Live With Autism | Best Life

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When you're walking through a store or sitting in a restaurant, you might not think twice about what's going on around you. For those with autism who have sensory issues, that's a different story. Hypersensitivities to sights, sounds, smells, taste, and touch are common -especially bright lights and loud noises-which can make someone with autism feel very overwhelmed.

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In other parts of the world, such as the African continent, the measles disease has spread at unprecedented rates. Due to poor sanitary conditions and the lack of access to vaccines, measles is spreading rapidly. Non-governmental agencies and governmental agencies are working together to combat the spread of measles. Greater effort and actions are needed to be taken to stop the spread of measles on the African continent, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. A major barrier to this is that sanitary conditions are not up to par, so there will need to be a dual effort to improve sanitary conditions and stop the spread of measles in the process through vaccinations. Along with humanity aid from first world countries, developing countries rely heavily on support of NGO's, non-governmental organizations, to provide aid and support. NGO's have steadily raised vaccination in areas on the African continent, such as South Africa, to the point that there is a higher vaccination rate then in Canada and the U.S.

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While parts of North America are experiencing the worst measles outbreak in 15 years, a new report shows that Africa has increased immunisation rates significantly, making the continent a world leader in protecting children against the disease.

The widespread availability of safe and affordable vaccines in even the most volatile and poor regions of African countries has seen immunisation rates surpass those of in the US, according to the 2015 Africa Survey, an annual report by Good Governance Africa (GGA).

The US has a 91% vaccination rate, while in Canada, which is currently experiencing an outbreak in Toronto, it is 84%, according to a UN estimate. A 95% rate is required for so-called "herd immunity".

A survey this week by Canadian researchers found that a fifth of the population still believed the long-debunked myth that the measles vaccine causes autism.

Ninety per cent of measles cases in the US involve people who have not been vaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, according to US Centers for Disease Control.

The GGA survey indicates that some African countries are now achieving near 100% vaccination rates, up by 39% since 2000.

GGA, a research and advocacy organisation based in South Africa, produces a collection of social, political and economic indicators from all 55 African countries, including information on the fight against measles from World Health Organisation (WHO).

The survey shows that 16 countries in Africa, including Tanzania, Morocco, Libya, Mauritius, Eritrea, Gambia and Egypt have almost 100% vaccination rates, and five others - Zimbabwe, Algeria, Kenya, Botswana and Lesotho, have higher rates than the US.

This recent progress is part of Africa's bigger measles success story.

In 2000, WHO reported that 60% of the 777,000 measles deaths worldwide occurred in occurred in sub-Saharan Africa. With improved communication, social mobilisation, counselling and funding, however, measles deaths were reduced by 91% by 2007. At the time, WHO's director general of health, Margaret Chan, described the trend as "a major public health success and a tribute to the dedication of the countries in the African region."

That said, in 2000 an estimated 600 African children died from measles every day. Despite improved vaccination rates, the figure still stands at 400 a day, according to GGA's researcher, Kate Van Niekerk.

Africa still suffers with poor health systems as demonstrated by the Ebola outbreak, and the UN reports that most countries in sub-Saharan Africa will not meet the millennium development goals, including those on reducing child and maternal mortality.

According to Van Niekerk, however, Africa's success against measles shows that vaccination can be successful in reducing child mortality in even the poorest of communities.
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Measles vaccination rates in parts of Africa surpass those in North America

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While parts of North America are experiencing the worst measles outbreak in 15 years, a new report shows that Africa has increased immunisation rates significantly, making the continent a world leader in protecting children against the disease.

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Measles is one of the leading vaccine preventable diseases, yet there are still cases today.

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9. Measles and Rubella Initiative  : a brighter future

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9. Measles and Rubella Initiative  : a brighter future

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The initiative is focused on the goal of reducing global measles mortality "by 95 percent by 2015; and eliminating measles and rubella in at least five of the six World Health Organization Regions by 2020". The initiative is taking strides by supporting communities with vaccinations; to date the innovative has reached 39 countries and 178 million children.

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The Measles & Rubella Initiative is a global partnership to lead and coordinate efforts to achieve a world without measles and rubella.

The Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI) is 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.

The M&RI aims to reach the measles and rubella elimination goals of the Global Vaccine Action Plan by supporting countries to raise coverage of measles, rubella and other vaccines; fund, plan, implement and monitor quality supplementary campaigns; investigate outbreaks and provide technical and financial support for effective outbreak response, propose and participate in solutions to strengthen immunization delivery; and support a global laboratory network for measles and rubella.

The Initiative is focused on supporting the goal of reducing global measles mortality by 95 percent by 2015; and eliminating measles and rubella in at least five of the six World Health Organization Regions by 2020.

Since 2001, the Initiative has supported 88 countries to deliver more than 2 billion doses of measles vaccine, helped to raise measles vaccination coverage to 85% globally, and reduced measles deaths by 79%. These efforts have contributed significantly to reducing child mortality as per Millennium Development Goal 4. To date, the partnership has invested more than US $1.2 billion in measles and rubella control activities.

In 2015, the Measles & Rubella Initiative supported 39 countries to implement measles campaigns that reached more than 178 million children with bundled vaccines, operational costs or technical assistance.

Key supporters of the Measles & Rubella Initiative include countries and governments affected by measles, rubella and congenital rubella syndrome;

The Measles & Rubella Initiative is also grateful to its many individual private donors and supporters. Together we move faster.

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The Measles & Rubella Initiative (M&RI) is 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.