Bogotá D.C., November 19, 2022. For the third consecutive year, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Measles Rubella Elimination Regional Monitoring and Re-verification Commission (MRE-RMC) granted Colombia the certification of country free of measles.
The rating was delivered after the regional evaluation from November 15 to 17, 2022 and led by the International Commission for the recertification of the elimination of measles, rubella and CRS viruses, which evaluated all the countries of the region in three components: epidemiological surveillance, laboratory surveillance and vaccination.
The Commission considered that Colombia has met the high expectations of the country's commitments, demonstrating continuous improvement in the following areas: maintenance of the notification rate, monitoring of suspected cases and immediate response for containment of an importation of these viruses even in times of pandemic.
In addition, compliance with the Expanded Program on Immunizations was shown in the follow-up of the cohorts of children born from 2010 to 2019, and demonstrating planning, execution, monitoring, follow-up, and evaluation of the 2021-2022 High Quality Measles Campaign.
Due to the above, the International Commission has recognized the vaccinators for excellence in their hard work within the framework of the plan to maintain the sustainability of the country's certification, which resulted in the country being recognized as free of these viruses: a country that reached the "Elimination with minor concerns."
The deputy director of communicable diseases, María Belén Jaimes, reminded the public that "the country has had measles-free status since January 24, 2014, when the International Committee of Experts (ICE) of the PAHO/WHO certified Colombia as a country free of measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome.
In this last quarter of the year, parents or caregivers are invited to go to the vaccination points to verify the children's vaccination cards and have them up to date in the national vaccination schedule. It is important to remember that there is a national house-to-house vaccination plan in all territories and seeking out children who have not yet been vaccinated.
The challenge of maintaining the status
This public health achievement for the country occurred after overcoming several events: the 2018-2019 measles outbreaks that identified imported cases from Venezuela, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the return to normal activities of the country after confinement.
Now a call is made to the EPSs, vaccinating IPSs, social leaders, the civil society, among other actors, to work hand in hand with the territorial entities to complete the follow-up plans conducted with the National Health Superintendency and the Childhood and Adolescence Inspector General's Office.
The next step will be the collection of documentary evidence of the High-Quality Measles Campaign that will be presented to the International Commission at the 2023 regional meeting, as a supporting argument for the work to improve vaccination coverage and not have endemic transmission of these viruses.
"We still have to work to consolidate this milestone in public health: Colombia without autochthonous cases of measles, rubella and CRS," said the deputy director.
