Fijian Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu told parliament the elimination is a testament to decades of hardworking healthcare workers. Photo: Tom Lee / Stuff
Fiji has officially eliminated measles, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), at a time when cases are on the rise in New Zealand.
The Pacific Island nation has eliminated measles alongside rubella and trachoma.
Fijian Health Minister Dr Ratu Atonio Lalabalavu told parliament the elimination is a testament to decades of hardworking healthcare workers.
"It is unprecedented indeed that Fiji has achieved the recognition of WHO through the declaration of the elimination of three public health diseases," Lalabalavu said.
The last time the WHO recognised a disease elimination was for polio in 2000, with the last case being recorded in 1962.
"Historically measles was one of Fiji's most serious diseases responsible for repeated outbreaks throughout the 20th century and the infamous 1875 outbreak killed approximately a quarter of the entire Fijian population at the time," the health minister said.
He said the last measles case was recorded in March 2020.
It comes amid a measles outbreak in New Zealand, where 17 cases have been confirmed so far.
"Our regional neighbours in New Zealand and Australia are reporting new cases linked to international travel, and we may record an odd case here and there.
"However, we must continue to work hard to eliminate endemic transmission through maintaining high levels of vaccination coverage in the childhood immunisation programme."
Rubella can cause serious birth defects, while trachoma was once a leading cause of blindness in Fiji the 1950s.
"In 2007 a rapid assessment in high risk Fijian communities revealed active trachoma rate averaging as high as 22 percent in children aged one to nine years.
"Fiji has become only the 26th country in the world to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, and we extend our gratitude to all healthcare workers as specialists and partners.
"We have worked tirelessly over the years to save our people from this preventable cause of blindness," he added.
