The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has donated 28,000 doses of the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine and medical equipment to support the Maldives' response to the ongoing measles outbreak.
The donation was formalised during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare on Wednesday. The assistance agreement was signed by Minister Geela Ali on behalf of the Government, while UNICEF was represented by its Resident Representative to the Maldives, Dr Edward Addai.
Speaking at the ceremony, Geela said the donation would provide a significant boost to efforts to contain the current outbreak and reflected the strong partnership between the Maldives and UNICEF.
"The 28,000 doses of the Measles-Rubella vaccine and related equipment we received today are our strongest weapons to protect ourselves from this outbreak," the Minister said.
Geela said more than 5,400 people have been vaccinated since the immunisation campaign began. She added that laboratory testing capacity has been expanded and contact tracing efforts intensified as part of the national response to the outbreak.
The Minister also thanked healthcare professionals for their continued efforts in responding to the spread of the disease.
She urged anyone eligible for vaccination to come forward, describing immunisation as an important step in protecting individuals, their families and the wider community from measles.
The UNICEF donation follows a separate contribution from the Government of India, which recently provided 20,000 doses of the measles vaccine and three tonnes of medical supplies to support the Maldives' healthcare services.
Since the first measles case was detected in May, 121 people have tested positive for the disease. Fifty-five of those cases were reported during the past week.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) is continuing contact tracing, testing and vaccination of people at risk. According to the HPA, 5,495 people have received the measles vaccine so far.