Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles have eliminated measles and rubella after achieving high vaccination coverage and maintaining more than 3 years of local transmission-free status.
“This achievement shows what is possible when prevention comes first, and vaccines are treated as a public good,” said Dr Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
The three island nations are the first in sub-Saharan Africa to reach this status, joining more than 90 countries worldwide that have eliminated measles and over 130 that have eliminated rubella. Cabo Verde has not recorded measles cases since 1999; Mauritius raised measles vaccination coverage to 98% for the first dose by 2024; and Seychelles has maintained above 95% coverage for more than two decades. Across Africa, measles control efforts between 2000 and 2023 are estimated to have prevented nearly 21 million deaths, demonstrating the power of sustained immunisation and surveillance to protect children and prevent lifelong disability.
