Measles – Western Pacific Region

Globally, between 2016 and 2017, the number of reported measles cases increased by 31%, while in the WHO Western Pacific Region (WPR), the total number of cases reported decreased by 82% during the same period. However, there was an increase in cases reported in WPR, from 11 118 in 2017 to 26 163 cases in 2018. A resurgence of measles cases has been seen in all WHO Regions. An unusually high number of cases reported from countries and areas of the WPR in 2019 have been reported from: 1) several countries/areas where measles has been eliminated due to importation-related outbreaks; and 2) endemic countries such as the Philippines which has ongoing measles outbreak. In WPR, currently nine countries and areas (Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Hong Kong SAR (China), Japan, Macao SAR (China), New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore) are verified by the Regional Verification Commission for Measles Elimination as having interrupted endemic measles virus transmission for more than 36 months.

To date, there have been no measles cases reported from the Pacific Island Countries and areas. The majority of countries and areas in WPR have made positive inroads to improve immunization and achieve higher vaccination coverage at the national level. However, with global resurgence of measles and movement of populations, several countries and areas in WPR remain vulnerable to outbreaks of measles due to low coverage of measles-containing-vaccine (MCV), at the subnational level and among vulnerable populations.

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