Accelerated measles control--Cambodia, 1999-2002

Cambodia is recovering from approximately 30 years of civil war that resulted in the breakdown of the country's public health infrastructure. In 1999, the Ministry of Health initiated a measles-control program with the goal of reducing the annual incidence of measles to <10,000 cases in 2005 by strengthening measles surveillance, improving routine vaccination coverage, implementing supplementary measles immunization activities (SIAs), and providing vitamin A during outbreak investigations and SIAs. This report summarizes measles-vaccination activities and their impact in reducing reported measles cases from 13,827 in 1999 to 1,234 in 2002 and suggests options for future measles-control efforts in postconflict situations.