KIGALI, Rwanda

Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles, in a major public health accomplishment, have eliminated measles and rubella, becoming the first sub-Saharan countries to reach this milestone, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Monday.

The achievement was declared after the recommendation of the WHO’s Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, which met in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October.

In a statement, WHO said the commission confirmed that the three small island developing states have interrupted endemic transmission of both viruses for more than 36 months, while maintaining high-quality disease surveillance systems capable of rapidly detecting and containing any imported cases.

WHO Regional Director for Africa, Mohamed Janabi, congratulated the three countries for what he called a major public health milestone in the continent’s collective efforts to control and end diseases in Africa.

“It shows what’s possible when countries put prevention first and make vaccines a priority,” he said. “We must build on this success so that every child in Africa can grow up healthy and protected.”

The achievement was attributed to the implementation of control strategies, such as periodic mass vaccination campaigns.

Cabo Verde’s Health Minister Jorge Figueiredo said for decades, measles and rubella had threatened the health and futures of the country’s children.

He stressed the importance of collaborating among governments, health professionals, communities, and international partners to achieve a common goal.

The country has not had a confirmed measles case since 1999, and the last confirmed rubella case was in 2010, according to WHO.

In Mauritius, no measles cases have been reported since 2019, and all recent suspected measles and rubella cases were ruled out after investigation.

The last measles outbreak in Seychelles was contained in 2020, and there have been no confirmed rubella cases since 2016.

According to the WHO, the three countries join 133 others around the world that have been verified to have eliminated measles and rubella.

Both measles and rubella are highly contagious airborne viruses that can be prevented by vaccines.

Measles can result in severe complications and death, especially among young children, while rubella can cause irreversible birth defects if infection occurs during pregnancy, according to the WHO.