Geneva: Nepal has successfully eliminated rubella as a public health problem, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which credited the achievement to the country’s robust immunisation efforts and disease surveillance systems.

Rubella is a highly contagious viral infection that spreads through coughing and sneezing. While it generally causes only mild illness—typically a low-grade fever and rash—in children and young adults, it poses a significant risk during pregnancy. Infection in expectant mothers can result in miscarriage, stillbirth, or a range of serious and lifelong birth defects.

A vaccine to prevent rubella exists and was incorporated into Nepal’s national immunisation programme in 2012. By 2024, the country had achieved over 95 per cent coverage with at least one dose of the vaccine.

Catharina Boehme, Regional Director for WHO’s South-East Asia division, praised Nepal’s “unwavering commitment” and acknowledged the dedication of its healthcare workforce in the effort to eliminate the disease.

In 2013, the South-East Asia Region set the target of eliminating measles and controlling rubella by 2020. This was later revised in 2019 to aim for the elimination of both diseases by 2023. However, due to disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, countries in the region agreed to extend the deadline to 2026.

As of January 2024, rubella vaccines had been introduced in 175 countries, with global coverage estimated at 69 per cent, according to the WHO. The number of reported rubella cases worldwide dropped from 670,894 across 102 countries in 2000 to just 17,865 cases in 78 countries in 2022.

Nepal joins Bhutan, North Korea, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste as countries in the WHO’s South-East Asia region that have successfully eliminated rubella.

AFP