Afghanistan

September-December 2006 and 2007
Targeted vaccinations: 4,400,000 (under five years old)
Deaths averted per year:
Other health interventions: Tetanus

First nationwide measles campaign in Afghanistan reaches more than 10 million children with measles vaccinations - remarkable success in war-torn country

Because Afghanistan has been devastated by more than 20 years of civil war, infant mortality rates and the mortality rate for children under five years of age are among the highest in the world. Measles is a major cause of death for children under 10 years of age, and accounts for an estimated 30,000-35,000 deaths each year in Afghanistan. Since late 2001, an estimated two million refugees have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries. Acute and chronic malnutrition were prevalent among those refugees, and outbreaks of measles resulting in thousands of deaths were anticipated.

To fight mortality from measles, a nationwide measles vaccination campaign for children ages six months to 12 years was carried out during 2002 by The Ministry of Health of the Interim Government of Afghanistan with the support of international organizations such as the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies including the American Red Cross. This effort was the first nationwide measles vaccination campaign for a broad age range implemented in a country affected by a complex emergency.

UNICEF and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (The Federation) were the recipients of a $750,000 donation from America's Fund for Afghan Children (AFAC) to give a final boost to the measles vaccination campaign and to support on-going health initiatives.

"The American Red Cross is excited to have contributed to saving so many lives in Afghanistan through the vaccination campaign. Measles vaccination campaigns during humanitarian crises such as famines and refugee situations are critically important. Many times, measles can be a leading cause of death during these situations. By vaccinating children during a crisis, we can help prevent outbreaks. However, the best way is to prevent outbreaks from happening to begin with is by eliminating the disease entirely from a particular region, which is what UNICEF, the American Red Cross, the Federation and our other partners are accomplishing through the Measles Initiative in Africa," said Dr. Mark Grabowsky, senior health advisor for the American Red Cross.

UNICEF is the recipient of $500,000 which will allow the organization to complete its year-long effort to vaccinate 10 million at-risk children in Afghanistan and prevent an estimated 35,000 deaths. So far, 8.25 million children ages six months to 12 years have been vaccinated against measles, but at least 90% coverage of the country is needed to successfully stop transmission of the disease. The donation from AFAC will help UNICEF and its partners to reach the remaining 1.75 million children, including those in remote villages and newly returned refugees.

The Federation received $250,000 to support on-going routine immunization efforts by helping to increase the number of vaccinators and support community outreach activities to educate and encourage families to bring their children to be vaccinated. The Federation is a partner with the American Red Cross, UNICEF, CDC and other global health leaders in the Measles Initiative, a program leading the fight to eliminate measles in Africa.

Vaccination posts were set up at more than 1,200 fixed vaccination sites and more than 3,000 mobile clinics including mosques, hard-to-reach outlying areas and at registration points where refugees entered along the borders of Iran and Pakistan. As of December 31, 2002, a total of 10,299,878 children were reported to have been vaccinated, representing 82% of the national target population.