New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) Amid resurgence of measles outbreak in the US and Canada, India has seen a surge in vaccine coverage for the highly contagious disease, Anupriya Patel, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said in the Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon Session on Tuesday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Patel informed that the measles vaccine is provided free of cost across the country, including in vulnerable regions, under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP).

“As per Health Management Information System (HMIS) (2024-25), the coverage of Measles containing Vaccine 1st dose (MCV-1) & 2nd dose (MCV-2) stands at 97.8 per cent and 93.3 per cent respectively,” the MoS said.

India aims to eliminate measles and rubella by 2026. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) noted 4,388 cases of measles and 527 cases of rubella this year in India.

Globally, measles is on the rise across the US, Canada, Mexico, South America, and parts of Europe. In 2025, North and South America saw 11 times more cases than during the same period last year. In Europe, measles rates are at their highest point in 25 years.

Meanwhile, Patel also informed the Upper House about the government’s “considerable achievements in eliminating and controlling” major vector-borne infectious diseases like Japanese Encephalitis, dengue, and malaria.

“The Case Fatality Rate (CFR) of Japanese Encephalitis has reduced from 17.6 per cent in 2014 to 7.1 per cent in 2024. The CFR (death per 100 cases) for dengue is sustained below 1 per cent since 2008 (0.13 per cent in 2024),” Patel said.

Similarly, the country has achieved a reduction of 78.1 per cent in malaria morbidity and 77.6 per cent in malaria mortality between 2015 and 2024. Patel noted that the Annual Parasite Incidence (API) also reduced to 0.18 in 2024 compared to 0.92 in 2015.

She also highlighted improvement in Mass Drug Administration (MDA) coverage — vital to help control and eliminate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) like Lymphatic Filariasis.

“MDA coverage has improved from 75 per cent in 2014 to 85 per cent in 2025 against the total population,” Patel said.

“Out of 348 Lymphatic Filariasis endemic districts, 143 (41 per cent) have stopped MDA and cleared Transmission Assessment Survey (TAS1), up from 15 per cent in 2014,” she added.

Further, another NTD, Kala-azar — also known as visceral leishmaniasis — also witnessed significant control, the MoS said.

“The Kala-azar elimination target of less than one case per 10,000 population across 633 blocks in 54 districts of endemic states in 2023 has been achieved, well ahead of the 2030 global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target, and this status is maintained till date,” the Union Minister said.

–IANS

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