Introduction
Measles is “a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by the measles virus” (CDC, 2014). Another term for this is rubeola, as opposed to rubella, which is a term for German measles. Measles can lead to fever, a runny nose, cough and rashes all over the body. One out of ten individuals with the disease also develop an ear infection, while one out of 20 individuals with the disease will contract pneumonia. For every 1000 children with measles around one or two children will succumb to the disease and/or its complications. Adults can contract measles if they were not vaccinated earlier in life (CDC, 2014).
Environmental and Other Factors for Measles
One environmental factor for measles is nutrition. The level of nutrition, especially in children, is considered to be such a factor that influences the child’s susceptibility to the disease. Malnourished children who have measles are also more susceptible to kwashiorkor or marasmus. In addition to this, the living condition of children who are more prone to the disease also determines whether or not the child will get the disease. It has been found out in a study that children who lived in a house that was less than 18.6 square meters in floor area had 2.6 times the risk of dying from the disease as compared to those children who lived in a bigger area (Orenstein, Perry and Halsey, 2004).
There are other lifestyle and cultural factors that determine the likelihood of one catching the disease. Cultural factors such as attitudes towards health, the body, and views on disease influence this likelihood. There are certain cultures that do not place too much concern on an individual having the disease. Thus if a child has the disease and loses his appetite, then he is more prone to developing other conditions because his resistance to any disease is now at an all-time-low. In certain cultures in Africa where bigamy is accepted, oftentimes the different wives and their respective children are crowded in a single dwelling. Thus if one child is afflicted with measles, then the potential for the disease spreading among the members of the household is great (Orenstein, Perry and Halsey, 2004).
Efforts to Control Measles
Recent efforts to control the disease have resulted in a reduction in measles mortality by about 74%. Since 2001 the global Measles Initiative has implemented programs in developing nations with the main objective of vaccinating over one billion children. The current strategic plan is to cut deaths due to measles by 95% come 2015. The main activities of this initiative are increased vaccination coverage, the monitoring of the spread of the disease using laboratory surveillance, training for preparedness for outbreaks, communication activities and community engagement. Research is always essential as well so that the strategies may be altered. This initiative is also done in partnership with other international agencies such as the Red Cross, the United Nations and other health-based global organizations (World Health Organization, 2012).
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the deaths due to measles accounted for 58% of the total deaths worldwide in 2000. The World Health Organization has actively implemented an acceleration vaccination program with four major components: enhanced routine vaccination, a second chance for vaccination in supplemental vaccination activities, measles case management, and measles surveillance. Thereafter a study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the program. Three main sources of epidemiological data were utilized for this study: routine surveillance data, case-based surveillance data, and data from investigations of outbreaks. From the routine surveillance data, measles cases prior to the implementation of the program were compared to the measles cases after the implementation of the program. For the case surveillance data, information from the cases themselves were further analyzed by assigned laboratories. In outbreak investigations, the scope and the sources of the spread were determined. A total of 19 African countries submitted the said data. The study concluded that this four-pronged program of accelerated vaccination and surveillance resulted in the number of deaths due to measles decreasing by 91% (National Network for Immunization Information, 2010).
Conclusion
Research shows that there are still gaps in the implementation of this initiative. It is estimated that there are about 20 million infants in the world who remain unvaccinated, and they are concentrated in only five countries – The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria and Pakistan. These are countries whose budgets for health are decreasing annually, and thus, the threat of measles is greater in these countries (Casselli, 2006). There is also the use of evidence-based information to help contain the disease. A review of the evidence shows that the role of the health worker is very important. The attitudes of health professionals towards the disease will always influence how the health worker implements strategy. Therefore, included in the Measles Initiative is the awareness training of health workers, including the enhancement of their communication skills in order to become very successful in persuading the parents to have their children vaccinated against the disease (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2014). These efforts will have to be combined and integrated with efforts to control other diseases such as tuberculosis, German measles, mumps and other childhood diseases.
References
CDC. (2014). “Measles”. Retrieved 23 October 2014 from: http://www.cdc.gov/measles
Casselli, Graciella. (2006). “A Treatise on Population Demography: Analysis and Synthesis”. Burlington, MA: Academic Press.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. (2014). “Implementing the ECDC Action Plan for Measles and Rubella”. Retrieved 24 October 2014 from: http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications/Publications/measles-rubella-implementing-action-plan.pdf
National Network for Immunization Information. (2010). “Measles Control in Africa”. Retrieved 24 October 2014 from: http://www.immunizationinfo.org/science/measles-control-africa
Orenstein, W., Perry, R. and Halsey, N. (2004). “Measles”, Journal of Infectious Diseases, 189, Supplement 1,S4-S16.
World Health Organization. (2012). “Measles and Rubella Initiative”. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2012/measles_20120424/en/
