COLOMBO: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Sri Lanka as a rubella-free country, according to a statement by the Health Ministry.
The certificate declaring Sri Lanka as a rubella-free country was given to Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne by WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, Poonam Khetrapal Singh.
“Sri Lanka was declared as a malaria free country in 2015, filaria free country in 2016 and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) free country in 2017 by the WHO,” Singh said.
This declaration of Sri Lanka as a rubella free country was another landmark for the healthcare services in 2018, Singh said, adding that Sri Lanka eliminates a disease every year.
Rubella, an airborne disease, and also known as German measles or three-day measles, is an infection caused by the rubella virus. Rubella is preventable with the rubella vaccine with a single dose being more than 95% effective. Often it is given in combination with the measles vaccine and mumps vaccine, known as the MMR vaccine.
