Health Talk: India’s 2026 target of measles-rubella elimination is achievable
India runs the world’s largest vaccination programme for pregnant women and children – 29 million pregnant women and 26 million newborns are covered annually
Union health minister JP Nadda on Thursday launched zero measles-rubella (MR) cases campaign, and set the target to eliminate the viral diseases from the country in next one year.
“Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda today virtually launched the National Zero Measles-Rubella Elimination campaign 2025-26 on the first day of the World Immunization Week (24-30 April), marking a significant step towards India’s goal of eliminating Measles and Rubella by 2026,” read the health ministry statement.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that causes high fever, rash, cough and red eyes. It can lead to life-threatening complications, like brain inflammation and pneumonia. Rubella, also known as German measles, is also a highly contagious viral infection. Both the diseases, however, can be prevented through vaccination.
If we look at the global measles situation, we realise there is an urgent need to increase the immunisation coverage. The UN agencies such as the World Health Organisation and Unicef on Thursday warned that vaccine-preventable diseases were on the rise globally, specially focusing on measles. “Measles is making an especially dangerous comeback. The number of cases has been increasing year on year since 2021… Measles cases reached an estimated 10.3 million in 2023, a 20% increase compared to 2022,” they said in a statement.
In the past 12 months, 138 countries have reported measles cases, with 61 experiencing large or disruptive outbreaks — the highest number observed in any 12-month period since 2019, they added.
As part of the elimination campaign, Indian government aims to achieve 100% vaccination coverage against MR, said Nadda. “Today is momentous occasion as the launch of Measles-Rubella elimination campaign 2025-26 marks an opportunity to achieve 100% immunization coverage to provide high quality lifestyle to children by administering them with the two doses of Measles and Rubella vaccine,” Nadda said during the launch.
Noting that this disease is highly contagious, Nadda underlined the importance of ensuring that not even a single child is left behind unvaccinated.
Under India’s Universal Immunisation Programme, two doses of the MR vaccine are provided free of cost to all eligible children, at 9-12 months and 16-24 months of age, respectively. According to government data, India’s MR vaccination coverage currently stands at 93.7% for the first dose (2024-25 HMIS data) and 92.2% for the second dose.
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India runs the world’s largest vaccination programme for pregnant women and children – reaching out to 29 million pregnant women and 26 million newborns annually. Data between January and March 2025 show, 332 districts in the country have reported zero measles cases and 487 districts have reported zero rubella cases, a positive development. The cases are tracked under government’s integrated disease and surveillance programme.
“We have to target the elimination of M-R in the same way as polio and maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination was achieved. The states and Union Territories need to be attentive, alert, and proactive and work with a ‘act now’ policy,” said the health minister.
Nadda is right. India has seen significant reduction in cases last year— 73% in measles cases and a 17% reduction in rubella cases— in comparison with 2023, and the numbers tell us that to reach the elimination target in 12 months is achievable. Provided we ‘act now’.
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