WASHINGTON, United States (CMC) — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says after years of hard work, the Americas region including the Caribbean, has regained its measles-free status in 2024.

It said that this marks the region’s return to this milestone, first achieved in 2016. In 2023, the Americas reported the lowest number of measles cases in its history, with only 73 cases. Additionally, vaccination coverage for the first dose of the Measles, Rubella, and Mumps (MMR1) vaccine increased for the first time since 2019, reaching eight per cent coverage.

PAHO said that its disease elimination imitative continues to make progress with the goal of eliminating over 30 communicable diseases and related conditions by 2030.

It said the region also celebrated key milestones including 30 years without wild polio virus and the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis in Belize, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, and lymphatic filariasis in Brazil.

PAHO said in 2024, the Americas experienced a notable recovery in vaccination coverage surpassing pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2019.

“This marks the region’s efforts to reverse the declining trends in immunisation that began in 2010 and worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination coverage for DPT-3 (diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus) increased, with first-dose coverage for DPT-containing vaccines reaching 91 per cent and third-dose coverage rising to 86 per cent.

“The number of children under one year of age who had never received a vaccine dose decreased to 1.1 million. However, challenges remain, as one in ten children still lack full vaccination,” PAHO said, adding that it has supported countries in strengthening immunisation programmes, integrating them into primary health care systems, and offering technical and operational support for vaccination campaigns, ensuring the continued elimination of diseases like measles, rubella, and polio.

The United Nations (UN) organisation said it in 2020, there was one maternal death every hour in Latin America and the Caribbean, a troubling setback to levels seen twenty years ago.

“This trend had already stagnated prior to the pandemic due to multiple barriers to accessing health services, exacerbated by COVID-19, which deepened inequalities and exposed the vulnerabilities of the region’s health systems.”

PAHO said it launched its “Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths” call to action, advocating for cross-sector collaboration, gender equality, and the creation of legal frameworks to protect women’s rights.

It said this strategy highlights that nine out of 10 maternal deaths could be prevented with universal access to quality maternal care and modern contraceptive methods, emphasising the crucial role of the health sector in reducing maternal mortality.

PAHO said that the Americas aims to be the first region to eliminate cervical cancer, which continues to claim the lives of around 40,000 women in the Americas each year.

It said with appropriate strategies, it could be eliminated as a public health issue and said it is leading the strategy to achieve this goal by promoting widespread human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, which prevents the primary cause of cervical cancer, along with screening and treatment. These combined measures provide a clear path to elimination.

“The actions are aligned with the World Health Organization’s 90-70-90 targets, which aim for 90 per cent HPV vaccination coverage in girls by age 15 years, 70 per cent screening coverage with high-performance tests by the ages of 35 and 45 years, and 90 per cent treatment for precancerous lesions and invasive cancer cases by 2030.”

PAHO said that significant progress has been made as 48 countries and territories in the Americas have already introduced the HPV vaccine. Nonetheless, coverage varies widely, with very few countries achieving over 80 per cent vaccination rates, and others remain below 10 per cent.

PAHO said it is working to address such gaps through its Disease Elimination Initiative, ensuring that all countries have access to safe, affordable HPV vaccines and diagnostic tools through its Revolving Funds.