What is The Measles Initiative?

Ø      LET’S END MEASLES.  The Measles Initiative is a long-term project with the goal of eliminating all measles deaths in Africa .  We have vaccinated children in 25 African countries, with up to 11 more countries on the way.  For general information about The Measles Initiative, go to: www.MeaslesInitiative.org.

Ø      VACCINATIONS TRULY HELP.  This goal will be accomplished through the vaccination of 200 million children in Africa , preventing 1.2 million deaths over five years (2001-2005).

Ø      IT COSTS LESS THAN A DOLLAR.  For less than one dollar, we can vaccinate a child against measles, which is one of the most contagious diseases in the world.  More than half of the deaths from measles worldwide happen in Africa , where 1,200 kids die from measles every day.

Ø      ONE OUT OF 100 VACCINATIONS SAVES A LIFE!  On the average, one out of every 100 measles vaccinations saves the life of a child who would have otherwise contracted measles and died.

Ø      WE HAVE HELPED SO MANY CHILDREN ALREADY.  From 2001 to 2003, over 110 million African children have been vaccinated, meaning that over 165,000 lives have been saved so far.

Who is organizing The Measles Initiative?

Ø      FIVE ORGANIZATIONS ARE MAKING IT HAPPEN.  Five of the world’s leading child and health organizations have been partnering in The Measles Initiative, including: the American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Children's Fund.

Ø      WE ARE HELPING OTHER CONTINENTS TOO.  Today, the Measles Initiative partners are vaccinating children in other continents.  Someday, we could wipe out measles all over the world!  This has already been done with two other diseases: smallpox and polio.