The campaign is aimed at strengthening health security, protecting against potential outbreaks, and supporting Cambodia's goal of becoming measles-free.
Speaking at the launching ceremony in Phnom Penh, Minister of Health Chheang Ra called on all health staff and partners to work together to ensure full coverage of the target population and protect all children in the country from the two diseases.
Marianna Trias, Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to Cambodia, said measles and rubella are serious but entirely preventable threats.
She noted this nationwide campaign is a vital step towards health equity, ensuring that no one is left behind in the mission to promote, protect, and provide health for all.
In the campaign, all children aged 9 to 59 months, including those who have already received a measles or MR vaccine, are encouraged to receive a dose to boost community immunity, according to a press release.
In 2023, Cambodia's national coverage for the first and second doses of the MR vaccine was 79% and 64%, respectively, still below the levels needed to prevent outbreaks and avert deaths, the press release said.
