PEACE CORPS STANDARD SECTOR INDICATOR DATA SHEET January 2014

STANDARD SECTOR
INDICATOR CODE: Suspected Cases of Measles in the PCV Community - Number of suspected cases of
measles reported in the PCV’s community since last reporting period
HE-123

Sector Schematic Alignment

HEALTH SECTOR  Project Area: Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health
 Project Activity Area/Training Package: Infant and Young Child Health

Type: Intermediate-term Unit of Measure: Suspected Cases Disaggregation:

Outcome Sex: Male, Female
Age: <5 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years

To be counted for this indicator the following criteria must be met:

 If the Volunteer or their counterpart hear or learn about a case of fever with a rash (that lasts more than three
days) in their communities, they must have reported the case to the appropriate local authorities.
Definitions:
Measles: is defined as any person with fever of 101 F or higher and maculopapular rash that lasts at least three days
(i.e. non-vesicular rash) and cough, coryza (i.e. runny nose) or conjunctivitis (i.e. red eyes)
Suspected case of measles is defined as any illness with a fever and a rash that lasts more than 3 days.

Rationale: Measles is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable child deaths. Efforts to eliminate measles help
strengthen health systems and reduce child mortality from pneumonia, diarrhea, and micronutrient deficiencies that
occur after measles infection, thereby helping to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goal No. 4 (to
reduce by two thirds, from 1990 to 2015, the mortality rate in children aged <5 years). Early detection in both event-
based and case-based surveillance is critical in order to respond in a timely manner and thwart the threat. Surveillance
systems need to be well coordinated with laboratory and animal health units in order to ensure comprehensive
diagnostics and awareness of disease threats. In addition, public health surveillance should be closely linked with clinical
care as the latter is the entry and exit point for affected cases

Measurement Notes:
Surveillance of suspected cases of measles is done to quickly identify and quarantine children with measles so they do
not transmit it to others. Volunteers who see or hear of a child with rash and fever that meets the suspected case
definition should report it to the proper officials immediately. There is no measurement that Volunteers should take for
this indicator.

Data Quality Assessments (DQA): DQA are needed for each indicator selected to align with the project objectives. DQAs
review the validity, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness of each indicator. For more information, consult the
Peace Corps MRE Toolkit.

Alignment with Summary Indicator: None

1 HE-123