Brazil has regained its measles-free status from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), five years after losing the certification in 2019. According to the Ministry of Health, the last reported case of measles in Brazil was in June 2022, in the state of Amapá.
During the certificate handover ceremony in Brasília on Tuesday (Nov. 12), PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa stated that when technical expertise and political leadership are united in support of a cause, “things happen.”
Upon receiving the certificate, Minister of Health Nísia Trindade described Brazil's measles-free status as a significant achievement. “This success stems from our technical expertise, without a doubt, but that expertise is in our country. It needed to be mobilized alongside society, with excellent cooperation from PAHO.”
“It's a movement that translates into a national movement, of managers, of the scientific community, of the surveillance community, of Parliament. It's an achievement, but we can't rest. The struggle continues,” she added.
Pandemic
Before the event, Jarbas Barbosa met with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Planalto presidential palace, where he personally presented the certificate to Lula. “This diploma is the result of the strength and competence of the Brazilian vaccination system,” President Lula said in a statement.
"It is crucial that this achievement is recognized and serve as an example for other heads of state in the region, encouraging them to show the same commitment and provide the momentum needed for immunization programs," said the PAHO director.
He noted that the Americas are currently the region with the greatest recovery in vaccination coverage following the COVID-19 pandemic. “This is significant because the pandemic dealt a heavy blow. We estimate that 23 percent to 24 percent of children missed their vaccinations during that time,” he said.
Mobilization
In a statement, Mônica Levi, president of the Brazilian Immunization Society (SBIm), celebrated the recertification but cautioned that maintaining the status requires ongoing efforts, as the virus continues to circulate. She referenced World Health Organization (WHO) data showing that, in 2023, more than 320,000 measles cases were confirmed worldwide.
“We’re on the right track, but we need to remain vigilant and redouble our efforts, especially since measles isn’t the only disease we need to worry about. While we’ve made significant progress, many vaccines, including the one that prevents polio, still fall short of the desired coverage,” Levi noted.
Andreia Verdélio contributed to this report.
