Rubella eliminated: WHO declares Nepal free of rubella as a public health problem (2025).
Immunisation coverage: Over 95% of children received at least one dose of rubella vaccine by 2024.
Vaccine introduction: First nationwide campaign in 2012, targeting children aged 9 months to 15 years; second dose added in 2016.
Challenges faced: Nepal sustained high coverage despite the 2015 and 2023 earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Global burden: Around 100,000 infants are born each year worldwide with congenital rubella syndrome.
Recent cases: In 2022, rubella was reported in 78 countries, with 17,865 cases.
Zero-dose children: In 2024, 14.3 million children worldwide missed out on all vaccinations.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 18, 2025 has announced that Nepal has eliminated rubella as a public health problem, marking a major milestone for maternal and child health in the region.
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a highly contagious viral infection that poses particular risks for pregnant women, leading to miscarriage, stillbirth or severe birth defects. Although safe and cost-effective vaccines exist, the infection remains a global threat, with an estimated 100,000 infants born with congenital rubella syndrome each year worldwide.
Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, also known as the MMR vaccine, are recommended by doctors as the best way to protect aginst the diseases. According to the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most people vaccinated with MMR will be protected for life.
“Nepal’s success reflects the unwavering commitment of its leadership, persistent efforts of the healthcare workers and volunteers and unstinting support of engaged and informed communities, for a healthy start for babies and a future free of rubella disease,” said Catharina Boehme, Officer-In-Charge of WHO in Southeast Asia.
Nepal first introduced the rubella vaccine in 2012 through a nationwide campaign targeting children between nine months and 15 years. A second dose was added to the country’s routine immunisation schedule in 2016.
Despite facing major public health emergencies in recent years, including devastating earthquakes in 2015 and 2023 and the COVID-19 pandemic, the country achieved more than 95 per cent coverage of at least one dose of rubella vaccine by early 2024.
Nepal’s elimination effort was bolstered by measures such as “immunisation month” campaigns, outreach to unvaccinated children and district-level drives to declare areas fully immunised. The country has also introduced a robust laboratory testing algorithm to strengthen rubella surveillance, becoming the first in WHO’s Southeast Asia Region to adopt such an approach.
While Nepal’s achievement stands out, rubella and other vaccine-preventable diseases remain a concern globally. In 2022, an estimated 17,865 rubella cases were reported in 78 countries. Immunisation coverage has stagnated, with 14.3 million children worldwide missing out on all vaccines in 2024.
WHO estimates that around 85 per cent of infants globally received three doses of diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine in 2024, while only 84 per cent received a first dose of measles vaccine, which is still below pre-pandemic levels.
Health experts warn that measles, with its high transmissibility, often signals wider immunity gaps, underlining the need for continued progress towards the global Immunization Agenda 2030.