Modeling and Managing the Risks of Measles and Rubella: A Global Perspective, Part I

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, the use of vaccines led to significant decreases in the global burdens of measles and rubella, motivated at least in part by the successive development of global control and elimination targets. The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) includes specific targets for regional elimination of measles and rubella in five of six regions of the World Health Organization by 2020. Achieving the GVAP measles and rubella goals will require significant immunization efforts and associated financial investments and political commitments. Planning and budgeting for these efforts can benefit from learning some important lessons from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Following an overview of the global context of measles and rubella risks and discussion of lessons learned from the GPEI, we introduce the contents of the special issue on modeling and managing the risks of measles and rubella. This introduction describes the synthesis of the literature available to support evidence-based model inputs to support the development of an integrated economic and dynamic disease transmission model to support global efforts to optimally manage these diseases globally using vaccines.

Modeling and Managing the Risks of Measles and Rubella: A Global Perspective Part II

“…Since the publication of Part I, several important events occurred. First, in September 2016, the Americas became the first WHO region that certified regional measles elimination, following its April 2015 certification as the first WHO region to eliminate rubella .…”

“…The introduction to Part I highlighted some of the lessons learned from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) relevant to eradication and elimination efforts and provided context related to modeling measles and rubella risks. This introduction complements that discussion by providing context about where measles and rubella eradication fits into the portfolio of ongoing and potential disease eradication efforts.…”

“…Some of the articles in this special issue use abbreviations summarized for readers in Table II of the introduction to Part I . Similar to the risk assessment tool previously developed for polio, the second article developed a district‐level programmatic assessment tool for measles transmission risks.…”

“…(1) The world remained off-track with respect to achieving the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) regional elimination goals for measles and rubella. (2) Since the publication of Part I, (3) several important events occurred. First, in September 2016, the Americas became the first WHO region that certified regional measles elimination, (4) following its April 2015 certification as the first WHO region to eliminate rubella.…”

“…(8) Finally, the review recommended vigorously pursuing the existing regional elimination goals to enable setting a global measles eradication target by 2020 for a future date, (8) which implies further costs associated with delaying more intensive and globally coordinated efforts to achieve eradication expected to come with an eradication commitment and target. (9) The introduction to Part I (3) highlighted some of the lessons learned from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) relevant to eradication and elimination efforts and provided context related to modeling measles and rubella risks. This introduction complements that discussion by providing context about where measles and rubella eradication fits into the portfolio of ongoing and potential disease eradication efforts.…”