More than 200 global advocates for measles elimination in Africa and Asia are gathering on February 27 and 28 at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington, DC to review the extraordinary progress achieved since 2001 when the first annual meeting and advocates pledged to work in a global partnership to address the high measles mortality in Africa. This year's meeting also allows the more than 25 agencies to share their plans and resources for continued accelerated measles vaccination efforts in 2007-2008.

This 7th annual meeting follows the November 2006 announcement by the Measles Initiative founding members (The American Red Cross, the UN Foundation, UNICEF and WHO) on the remarkable 75% reduction in measles mortality in Africa and the 60% reduction worldwide since this group banded together six years ago.

Speakers presented results from more the nine national vaccination campaigns in 2006 which reached more than 63 million children under 5 years of age. Since 2001, the partners have raised more than 150 million US$ and have vaccinated more than 250 million children. The meeting especially focused on documenting the major impact achieved so far and described the improved systems of measles case and death surveillance throughout Africa. The Initiative has resulted in averting millions of child deaths through the provision of these simple measles vaccinations.

The International Federation speaker, Public Health Advisor Jean Roy, highlighted how from 1996 to 2000, the International Federation persistently advocated for a global consortium to address Africa's high and neglected measles mortality. Two International Federation visionaries, Drs. Joachim Kreysler and Hakan Sandbladh, encouraged the American Red Cross to work with its national counterparts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and to form a global consortium of interested agencies, donors, and NGOs. After four years of global lobbying, the Founding partners and more than 20 other interested parties met in February 2001 and pledged their support to measles control. Jean Roy noted how civil society organizations can play a vital role as brokers for agencies, governments and institutions much as ROTARY International has done for polio eradication and Red Cross for advocating for the Africa Measles Initiative.

In recognition of their visionary efforts, Drs. Joachim Kreysler and Hakan Sandbladh were awarded the International Federation's 2007 Public Health award. The citation states "that noting in 1996 the enduring high measles morbidity and mortality in African children, that the Pan American Health Organization had successfully eliminated measles in the Americas, and that there was no advocacy for measles control in Africa, they thereby advocated that a consortium be formed to address Africa's measles disaster".

Building on successes achieved last year, the Measles Initiative partners will further increase their efforts, with campaigns in 14 countries to vaccinate more than 23 million children.

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