The Ethiopia Ministry of Health planned to conduct a Measles vaccination in a next few weeks in a high risk woredas of Oromia, Amhara, Afar, Somali, Tigray, SNNPR, Harari, Gambella and Benishangul Gumuz regions and Dire Dawa City Administration. The campaign aimed to respond to the measles outbreaks occurred in some localities of the country.

The national level command post decided to integrate measles campaign with the last polio NID with tOPV before the switch to bOPV to use the advantage of operational cost of polio budget and the preparatory activities are underway.

In measles outbreak affected woredas; the immediate response campaign was conducted recently for under-five year old children and this was undertaken SNNPR, Gambella, Afar, Amhara, and Tigray. Measles outbreaks are still a challenge in some parts of the country, and as of March,2016 more than 2,900 suspected cases were reported and out of these 2,424 cases confirmed (242 Lab confirmed, 2,159 epi-linked and 23 clinically compatible). The SNNPR remain the most affected region with 59.3% of the reported cases followed by Oromia which is 22.5%. The age group mostly being affected by the outbreak remains under five children with 56% followed by 5 – 14 years of children with 34%. The target population for the current planned campaign is 25,815,226 children of 6 -179 months in the 505 woredas (including 341 “Nutrition hot spot” and 164 non overlapping woredas in very high risk regions for measles outbreak.

WHO supported on response plan preparation, investigation, management and response to the outbreaks in different regions including Somali where team of experts from RHB/PHEM, WHO and UNICEF were in Degahbur, Somali region to investigate and respond to the suspected measles outbreak in the zone.

WHO has also enhanced surveillance in the affected woredas and facilitated samples collection and transportation to the national laboratory for confirmation, and continued to closely monitor at all level in the regions. In general, control and prevention of measles strengthened at all level including surveillance, case management, and routine immunization.