Rubella Elimination by 2010
WHAT: Press conference by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on new plan to eliminate rubella by the year 2010 in the Americas.
WHEN: Monday, September 22, 2003 at 10:00 a.m.
WHERE: PAHO Headquarters, Room B, 525 23rd St., N.W. PAHO is at Virginia Avenue and 23rd St., some 4 blocks south of Foggy Bottom Metro.
WHO: Dr. Mirta Roses Periago, director, PAHO; Dr. Walter Orenstein, director, U.S. National Immunization Program, CDC.
WHY: Every half hour a child is born in the Americas with Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS), resulting in the devastating consequences of mental retardation, hearing loss, cataract, and heart disease. Rubella is caused by a virus that is spread from person to person when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or by direct contact with the nasal or throat secretions of an infected person. If a pregnant woman gets rubella in the first 4 months of pregnancy, her baby is at risk of having serious birth defects. Ministers of Health meeting at the PAHO Directing Council this week are discussing rubella elimination.
PAHO: The Pan American Health Organization, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office of the World Health Organization.
CDC: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recognized as the lead federal agency for protecting the health and safety of people - at home and abroad, providing credible information to enhance health decisions, and promoting health through strong partnerships.
|
