The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has donated 28,000 doses of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine, along with medical consumables, to support the Maldives' response to the ongoing measles outbreak.

The donation was officially handed over to the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare during a ceremony held on Wednesday. The handover was attended by Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali and UNICEF Representative to the Maldives Dr Edward Addai.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Geela described the donation as a timely contribution that would strengthen the country's efforts to contain the outbreak. She said the support reflected the strong partnership between the Maldives and UNICEF, adding that the vaccines and accompanying medical supplies would play a vital role in protecting communities against measles.

The Minister said more than 5,400 people have already been vaccinated under the ongoing immunisation campaign. She added that efforts are continuing to expand laboratory testing and contact tracing to limit further transmission of the disease, while expressing appreciation to healthcare workers for their continued dedication during the outbreak.

Minister Geela also urged anyone experiencing symptoms of measles to seek medical attention promptly and encouraged those eligible to receive the vaccine, stressing that vaccination is essential to protecting individuals, families and the wider community.

The donation follows another recent contribution from the Government of India, which provided 20,000 doses of the measles-rubella vaccine and three tonnes of medical supplies to support the national response.

The Maldives has confirmed 121 measles cases since the first infection was detected in May, including 55 cases reported during the past week. Health authorities are continuing contact tracing and testing.