Public Health Actions to Control Measles Among Afghan Evacuees During Operation Allies Welcome — United States, September–November 2021

Masters, Nina B.; Mathis, Adria D.; Leung, Jessica; Raines, Kelley; Clemmons, Nakia; Miele, Kathryn; Balajee, S. Arunmozhi; Lanzieri, Tatiana M.; Marin, Mona; Christensen, Deborah; Clarke, Kevin R.; Crúz, Miguel A.; Gallagher, Kathleen; Gearhart, Shannon; Gertz, Alida M.; Grady-Erickson, Onalee; Habrun, Caroline A.; Kim, Gimin; Kinzer, Michael H.; Miko, Shanna; Oberste, M. Steven; Petras, Julia K.; Pieracci, Emily G.; Pray, Ian W.; Rosenblum, Hannah G.; Ross, James; Rothney, Erin E.; Segaloff, Hannah E; Shepersky, Leah; Skrobarcek, Kimberly A.; Stadelman, Anna; Sumner, Kelsey M.; Waltenburg, Michelle A.; Weinberg, Michelle; Worrell, Mary Claire; Bessette, Noelle E.; Peake, Lilian R.; Vogt, Marshall P.; Robinson, Meredith; Westergaard, Ryan P.; Griesser, Richard; Icenogle, Joseph P.; Crooke, Stephen N.; Bankamp, Bettina; Stanley, Scott E.; Friedrichs, Paul; Fletcher, Larry D.; Zapata, Iván A.; Wolfe, Herbert O.; Gandhi, Pritesh H.; Charles, Julia Y.; Brown, Clive; Cetron, Martín S.; Pesik, Nicki; Knight, Nancy; Alvarado‐Ramy, Francisco; Bell, Michael J.; Talley, Leisel; Rotz, Lisa D.; Rota, Paul A.; Sugerman, David; Gastañaduy, Paul A.; Ahluwalia, Indu B.; Akinkugbe, Olubunmi A.; Aranas, Aaron; Arons, Melissa; Atherstone, Christine; Bampoe, Valerie; Bessler, Patricia; Bligh, Leticia; Bonner, Kimberly; Bowen, Virginia; Broadwater, Kendra; Brunette, Gary W.; Brunkard, Joan; Burns, Dru A.; Cantrell, Molly E.; Christensen, Bryan; Cope, James R.; Cory, Janine; Crawford, Nathan E.; Daigle, David; Daly, Scott M.; DeJonge, Peter; Dualeh, Mushtaq; Dunn, Kevin H.; Eidex, Rachel B.; Elgethun, Kai; Fajardo, Geroncio; Fonseca-Ford, Maureen; Franc, Katherine; Gaines, Joanna; George, Nisha; Goodson, James L.; Green, Caitlin; Grober, Aaron J.; Hailu, Kibrten; Hammond, Duane R.; Harcourt, Brian H.; Hess, Alexandra P.; Hesse, Elisabeth; Hirst, Deborah V.L.; Hornsby-Myers, Jennifer; Humrighouse, Ben W.; Ishaq, Maliha; Ishii, Kenta; James, Allison; Jayapaul-Philip, Bina; Jentes, Emily S.; Johnson, Latoya; Johnston, Marie; Jolley, Christine D.; Kacha-Ochana, Akadia; Kaur, Harpriya; Keaveney, Megan; Kelly, Hilary C.; Krishnasamy, Vikram; Kumar, Gayathri S.; Larkin, Ma’isah; Layde, Mary; LeBouf, Ryan F.; Lee, Dong Hoon; Lira, Rosa Cavalcante; Lopez, Raymond; Lozier, Matthew; Macler, Alicia; Mainzer, Hugh M.; Malden, Deborah E.; Malenfant, Jason H; Marano, Nina; Marsh, Zachary; Mayer, Oren; McDonald, Robert; Mehta, Neha; Menon, Akshara; Meyer, Erika; Miles, Stephen T.; Minhaj, Faisal S.; Mirza, Sara; Moller, Kyle M.; Morris, Sapna Bamrah; Neu, Dylan T.; Oakley, Lisa; Ocasio, Denisse Vega; Osborne, Taylor; Ou, Alan C; Peck, Megan; Person, Marissa K; Posey, Drew L.; Pullia, Alexis; Qi, Chaolong; Raziano, Amanda J.; Richmond-Crum, Malia; Roohi, Shahrokh; Saindon, John; Sami, Samira; Sánchez-González, Liliana; Schweitzer, Ryan; Schwitters, Amee; Shamout, Mays; Shockey, Caitlin; Shragai, Talya; Singler, Kimberly B.; Sison, Erica J.; Smith, Dallas; Smith, Matthew R.; Sood, Neha J.; Sunshine, Brittany; Trujillo, Alma; Vallabhaneni, Snigdha; Wickson, Alexandra; Yoder, Jonathan S.; Zambuto, Laura R.; Cozzarelli, Tara; Rice, Morrisa; Ricks, Madia; Birchfield, John S.; Nambiar, Atmaram; Avrakatos, Avery; Ballard, Timothy P.; Dennis, Ethan; Gambino-Shirley, Kelly; Huston, Amanda E.; Jennings, Melissa G.; Oldham, David M.; Rabener, Michael J.; Fandre, M; Jablonka, Raymond J.; Love, Amber; Peduzzi, Olivia L.; Snow, Kirsten; Greer, Joy A.; Hughes, Chase A.; Humphreys, Matthew A.; Korduba, Adrian B.; Neamand-Cheney, Kari A.; Pritchard, Nikki; Smith, Alisha M; Whelpley, Jessica L.; Adekoya, Sulola; Alexander, Victoria D.; Davis, Meredith; Falk, Jonathan; Kurkjian, Katie M.; McCarty, Elizabeth; Moss, James N.; Myrick-West, Angela; Patel, C. K. N.; Pruitt, Rhonda; Saady, Dawn; Sockwell, Denise; Touma, Amanda; Wheawill, Stephanie; Woolard, Diane; Young, Andrea; Griffin-Thomas, LaToya A.; Kelly, Sean; McLeod, Jamie Josephine Avila; Lambert, Matthew C.; Danz, Tonya L.; Davis, Timothy; Guenther, Kyley; Hanson, E. W.

doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm7117a2

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Notably, the number of cases increased by 18% and deaths increased by 40% between week 4, 2022 (from January 24) and week 5, 2022 (commencing January 31). 46 , 47 According to reports, from January 1, 2021, to January 29, 2022, In Afghanistan, 35,319 probable measles cases were reported. Among these, nine‐tenth (3221 cases) were confirmed through laboratory testing using the IgM‐ELISA method was used in seven reference laboratories, one of which was national and six of which were regional.…”

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A notable incident occurred on September 4 when the Agency for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) acquired information of a possible measles diagnosis in an Afghan evacuee at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin. 47 In collaboration with state and local health departments, the CDC played a pivotal role by providing technical guidance to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of State (DoS). 44 , 47 The guidelines intended to improve measles monitoring, undertake thorough case examinations and tracking of contacts, and initiate a massive measles vaccination campaign across military sites in the United States and abroad.…”

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… 47 In collaboration with state and local health departments, the CDC played a pivotal role by providing technical guidance to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of State (DoS). 44 , 47 The guidelines intended to improve measles monitoring, undertake thorough case examinations and tracking of contacts, and initiate a massive measles vaccination campaign across military sites in the United States and abroad. During the period spanning from August 29 (the commencement of Operation Allies Welcome) to November 26, a total of 47 confirmed cases of measles, accounting for 0.065% of the 72,299 evacuees, were reported.…”

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the period spanning from August 29 (the commencement of Operation Allies Welcome) to November 26, a total of 47 confirmed cases of measles, accounting for 0.065% of the 72,299 evacuees, were reported. 47 The success of vaccination efforts, both domestically and in overseas locations, played a critical role in mitigating the importation of measles into the United States. Through a comprehensive measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine coverage estimated at 96% among the evacuee population, the transmission of measles was effectively limited within military bases and prevented from spreading into U.S. communities.…”

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Infectious diseases in Afghanistan: Strategies for health system improvement

Essar,

Siddiqui,

Head

2023

Health Science Reports

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Background and AimAfghanistan is grappling with a severe health crisis marked by a high prevalence of infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis, malaria, HIV, and the added strain of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The nation's healthcare system, already fragile, faces formidable challenges. Socioeconomic constraints, including limited resources and financial barriers, hinder healthcare accessibility, leading to delayed or inadequate care. Environmental factors, such as poor sanitation and crowded living conditions, exacerbate the transmission of diseases, especially waterborne illnesses. Governance issues, encompassing transparency, corruption, and political instability, disrupt healthcare efficiency and resource allocation. Addressing these multifaceted issues is vital to enhance Afghanistan's healthcare system and overall well‐being. The withdrawal of international support has exacerbated these challenges. The primary research goal is to deeply understand Afghanistan's health system, focusing on the major disease burdens: Tuberculosis, Malaria, AIDS, COVID‐19, Measles, Hepatitis, and Cholera. The study aims to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of current approaches, presenting a comprehensive view of challenges and opportunities within the Afghan healthcare system. The research concludes by highlighting policy implications, practical implementation, and offering recommendations for future endeavors.MethodologyThis paper provides a thorough analysis of the literature concerning infectious diseases in Afghanistan and the enhancement of the healthcare system in the nation. A systematic exploration of the literature was conducted through PubMed and Google Scholar databases. The search terms used encompassed “Tuberculosis” OR “TB,” “Malaria,” “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” OR “AIDS,” “Human immunodeficiency virus” OR “HIV,” “COVID‐19,” “Measles,” “Hepatitis virus,” “Cholera,” “Health system improvement,” and “Afghanistan.” Additionally, external sources like UNICEF, CDC, and WHO were referenced.ResultsIn conclusion, while improving access to vital medicines and vaccines is crucial for enhancing health outcomes in Afghanistan, significant challenges must be addressed to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of such strategies. The Afghan health system's fragile governance, corruption, logistical complexities, and failure to address broader social and economic factors pose significant risks and obstacles to the implementation of proposed health strategies. Therefore, the strategies discussed in this analysis align with key Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3, and their successful implementation will have implications not only for the health and well‐being of Afghanistan but also for global health.ConclusionHence, by adopting a comprehensive approach with complementary interventions as discussed, we can address issues in the Afghan health system and reduce transmissible diseases’ burden, thereby building a better world for all.

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Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Most Common Infectious Diseases In Afghanistanmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Infectious diseases in Afghanistan: Strategies for health system improvement

Essar,

Siddiqui,

Head

2023

Health Science Reports

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show abstract

“…9 We helped resettle >80 000 Afghan evacuees in the United States, curbing a potential measles outbreak among evacuees seeking a fresh start with their families. 10 Finally, we confronted the challenges of increasing maternal mortality, chronic diseases including diabetes and hypertension, mental health issues, and firearm violence, to name a few.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%