The Measles & Rubella Initiative, established in February 2001, is a long-term partnership among public health leaders formed to reduce measles deaths worldwide. Its founding organizations, the American Red Cross, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization, convened to address an escalating measles crisis in Africa, recognizing that most of the resulting deaths were preventable through vaccination. The initiative set an original goal of reducing global measles deaths by ninety percent by 2010 compared with 2000 levels, later expanding its technical and financial support from Africa to countries in Asia as measles deaths there became the highest outside sub-Saharan Africa.
Facts
Sponsoring BodyAmerican Red Cross, CDC, UNICEF, UN Foundation and WHO 1 Target PopulationEvery child at risk of measles in measles-burdened countries 1 Health GoalReduce measles deaths globally by 90% by 2010 compared to 2000 estimates 1 Geographic ScopeMore than 40 African countries and three Asian countries 1 Measured Results217 million children vaccinated against measles and 1.2 million lives saved since 1999 1 Program status (class) Classification
Program KindVaccination or Immunization Program 1 Connections
Delivers Practice
Entity-backed identity for the program-kind enum value this public health program already carries, resolved to a health practice by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The program-kind fact itself stays on the program unchanged.
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Africa, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Asia, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Measles & Rubella Initiative
Introduction, lead sentence, launch clause
launched in 2001
Introduction, lead sentence, goal clause
reducing measles deaths globally by 90% by 2010 compared to 2000 estimates
Introduction, lead sentence, abbreviation
The Measles & Rubella Initiative (MRI)
Background
American Red Cross, CDC, UNICEF, UN Foundation, and WHO met to discuss the growing problem of measles in Africa
Structure
to vaccinate every child who may be at risk
Impact, paragraph 2
supported more than 40 African countries and three Asian countries
Impact, paragraph 1
217 million children have been vaccinated against measles and 1.2 million lives have been saved since 1999
- Wikipedia 'Measles & Rubella Initiative': 'is a long-term commitment and partnership among leaders in public health'; checked 2026-09-27.
Program classification, entity description sentence
Its founding organizations, the American Red Cross, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation and the World Health Organization, convened to address an escalating measles crisis in Africa, recognizing that most of the resulting deaths were preventable through vaccination.
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