Sarlahi, Feb. 12 -- In July 2024, health authorities, both the provincial government and the federal government declared the entire Madhesh province fully immunised. But in less than 18 months, a measles outbreak occurred in Malangwa Municipality, Sarlahi District.

The outbreak was the first in more than two years, laying bare a vaccination gap and exposing the government's shallow preparation to eliminate the deadly disease by 2026.

"Declaration of fully immunised local units and districts was based on the past year's data on immunisation," said Dr Abhiyan Gautam, chief of the Immunisation Section at the Family Welfare Division, under the Department of Health Services. "However, surveillance after the outbreak in Sarlahi shows that the...