Measles has been around for centuries and is known to be one of the most contagious diseases known to man. Measles in Maldives was quite prevalent in the 1950s, with Maldives only seeing the introduction of the vaccine in 1983 after the first measles vaccine was licensed for public use in 1963. Maldives initially began its vaccination services in 1976. Given in two doses, the first measles dose is administered at 9 months old, with the second being administered at 18 months.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Maldives was free of measles in June 2017, having eradicated the disease in its entirety. However, the infection has been detected in a few individuals in isolated incidents after that but the most recent resurgence has put the Maldives’ health sector on high alert.

The first case in Maldives in 2026 was detected by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) when two individuals tested positive for the disease on 13th May. Through contact tracing, the HPA was able to confirm two additional cases that tested positive on 20th May.

On 23rd May, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) took the initiative to set up a help desk for measles cases as cases had spiked, which can be located outside IGMH’s ambulance portico outside the main emergency room. This service is available daily from 8:00am to 11:00pm and if any patient, adult or child, has symptoms of measles, they are to notify the triage nurses at the main emergency room and the children’s emergency room respectively. IGMH has advised those who have contracted the virus to wear masks to prevent further spread as measles is an airborne contagion which transfers via coughing, sneezing and the like. They have also advised people to keep the number of people who accompany those who are infected to a minimum.

A few days after that, the Public Health Director of the HPA Naashiya Abdul Ghafoor had been interviewed on PSM’s Raajje Miadhu program, where she stated that the agency is taking the necessary steps and safety measures to ensure that everyone in Maldives who has not received their second dose of the measles vaccine is provided with it. By then, HPA had confirmed that six out nine people have been confirmed to have measles and have been reported as well. Naashiya said that they have begun work to import vaccines to maximize the number of people who will get the vaccine.

Safety measures from the HPA include offering the second dose to those who have come into contact with infected individuals and those in the health sector. The agency advises all individuals who do not have the second dose to get the vaccine when available.

In the last week of May, the HPA reported that two more individuals have been reported to have contracted measles, bringing up the total number of confirmed cases in Maldives to 11. Six of the total infections this year occurred in May, which speaks to its contagious prowess.

Maldives is not the only country that is being plagued by the virus. The United Nations (UN) has reported that there have been over 184,000 cases of measles that have been reported across 155 countries by 13th May, with almost half being confirmed. The total global toll sees the Southeast Asian region cover 29 percent of the infection rate, with 21 percent in the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Americas and Africa accounting for 19 percent.

Neighbouring countries of Maldives are seeing a drastic spike in cases as well. By 4th June, Bangladesh had reported 60,000 suspected measles patients that were hospitalized and almost 9,000 confirmed cases, with more than 600 deaths, making it the worst measles outbreak in the country in years. While the exact numbers are not clear, cases of measles are on the rise in India as well.

The UN has also issued a measles alert ahead of the World Cup, with the UN advising nations to increase the surveillance of measles and to conduct vaccination efforts.

Amidst the rise of measles in Maldives, the country is seeing its people turn a blind eye to vaccination. Anti-vaccination sentiment and vaccine skepticism may cause long-lasting repercussions regarding public health progress, as was said by the HPA. The agency also stated that if vaccination rates continue to fall, diseases that have either been under control or have been eradicated may return.

Common symptoms of measles that people should look out for are:

Even though these symptoms may be mild, health officials have advised that the virus may cause potentially life-threatening complications, which includes problems related to vision and pneumonia. The doses of the measles vaccination are advised as it decreases the chances of contracting the disease by 97 percent.