Thailand has been verified by the World Health Organisation as having eliminated rubella as a public health problem, becoming the seventh country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to reach the milestone. The verification was announced on 5 September after Dr Nilesh Buddha, Officer-in-Charge of the WHO South-East Asia Region, endorsed a recommendation from the Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination. "Thailand has shown that rubella elimination is achievable when strong political commitment, resilient immunisation services, high-quality surveillance and community trust come together," Dr Buddha said. WHO review and Thailand's long vaccination campaign The Regional Verification Commission examined evidence submitted by Thailand's National Verification Committee at its annual meeting on 22 and 23 June. A field visit to verify the evidence was then carried out in July. Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat described the result as a national achievement. He said the verification was a proud moment for Thailand and paid tribute to the decades of work by health workers, volunteers, partners and communities. Thailand now joins Bhutan, North Korea, the Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste as countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region that have eliminated rubella. Bhutan, North Korea, the Maldives and Timor-Leste have eliminated both measles and rubella. Thailand's efforts against the disease began in 1977 with the launch of its Expanded Programme on Immunisation. A rubella-containing vaccine was introduced in 1986 for six-year-old girls in primary school, before coverage was expanded in 1993 to include all one-year-old children. Imported cases remain a concern Rubella, sometimes called German measles, is a contagious viral infection that vaccination can prevent. While it is often mild, infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage or stillbirth, and may lead to congenital rubella syndrome, which is associated with lifelong birth defects. That is particularly relevant for people planning a pregnancy or travelling with young children, given the potentially severe consequences of infection during pregnancy. The WHO verification reflects sustained vaccination coverage and disease surveillance, rather than a claim that all future cases have been ruled out. Join the discussion? 9 September 2026
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