Measles Control Initiative

Measles Control:

Success in the Balance

Measles Control: Success in the Balance is a 5-minute advocacy film highlighting the threat of measles resurgence in sub-Saharan Africa. The film highlights the achievements of accelerated measles mortality reduction activities and the importance of addressing the current funding deficits that threaten those achievements. Since 2000, AMMR strategies have resulted in a 92% reduction in measles mortality in Africa. Yet, all this progress is currently hanging in the balance, as activities are scaled back and campaigns are delayed due to unfulfilled national government budgetary commitments and a significant decline in international contributions for these activities.

In the past year more than 30 sub-Saharan African nations have experienced significant measles outbreaks, yet there are clear models of success. Measles Control: Success in the Balance includes interviews conducted at a recent best practices workshop in Ghana. Ghana, one of only a dozen countries in the region that has avoided significant measles outbreaks over the past year, was selected to illustrate programmatic success. Ghana’s consistently high routine immunization rates and successful resource mobilization efforts ensure fully funded and timely follow-up campaigns. Ghana’s national commitment to building a strong routine immunization system and to ensuring fully-funded supplemental activities result in continued progress. The video includes interviews with both regional and national Ghanaian representatives.



In collaboration with WebsEdge TV and the Measles Initiative partners, AMMRIRIA (Accelerated Measles Mortality Reduction Improving Routine Immunizations in Africa), a project of the Task Force for Global Health, produced the film for the 2010 Canadian Conference on Global Health. The conference was held on October 31 - November 3rd, in Ottawa. The video is available in English and with French subtitling. Links to both versions are included below. The short film will also be posted on Global Health TV and Lancet.com. Production of the video was made possible in part by support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.