Beyond the outbreak: Child protection strengthened in Delhi’s Kailash Nagar

The measles outbreak in Kailash Nagar, a densely populated neighborhood in Delhi’s East District, began in February 2026. The first confirmed case involved an eight-month-old girl who developed a high fever on 21 February, followed by a widespread rash. Her parents sought treatment at Maharishi Valmiki Infectious Diseases Hospital, where laboratory testing confirmed measles infection. The hospital promptly notified the District Immunization Office, which started an outbreak investigation.

Accredited social health activist (ASHA) workers, frontline health staff and a WHO-supported team visited the area to identify suspected cases. Samples were collected from four children with symptoms of fever and rash – two tested positive for measles, confirming the outbreak.

Measles is a highly contagious disease that spreads through an infected person’s coughing, sneezing or breathing. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose and rash. The Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine provides effective protection, while Vitamin A supplementation helps prevent serious complications among infected children.

Over the past year, WHO has strengthened surveillance capacity by training more than 50 medical officers, 80 auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and 500 ASHAs through workshops and field-based mentoring. During house-to-house investigations covering 450 households, government teams supported by WHO identified additional measles cases and unvaccinated children. As health teams conducted door-to-door surveillance through the neighborhood's narrow lanes, a deeper challenge emerged. Frequent migration and vaccine hesitancy had created pockets of vulnerable children, allowing the virus to spread. Frequent vacancies in the ANM position further exacerbated the challenges, leading to operational gaps.

Planning and coordination meeting at an Anganwadi Centre for surveillance and response to a suspected measles cluster (© WHO India / Virendra Singh)

The response quickly evolved beyond outbreak control. District health authorities, frontline workers and WHO teams focused on rebuilding community trust and restoring confidence in vaccination services. Faith healers and local influencers were sensitized on measles symptoms and reporting. Announcements at places of worship encouraged families to attend vaccination sessions, while NGOs and frontline workers intensified outreach among hesitant households. “This is an identified cluster of vaccine-hesitant families. It is important to conduct regular outreach sessions with religious leaders to convince hesitant families to get their children vaccinated,” said Dr Veena Verma, District Immunization Officer (East).

Highly committed health and frontline workers put in long hours to strengthen microplanning and increase vaccination coverage through community engagement. Following intensified outreach and the deployment of additional ANMs, there was visible progress—vaccination coverage during outbreak response activities increased from 8% to 51%. Seven additional routine immunization sessions were organized in Kailash Nagar, reaching 162 children with vaccines and Vitamin A supplementation.

Sustaining these gains will require ongoing community engagement, strengthened frontline health capacity, and regular immunization outreach to reach migrant and vaccine-hesitant families. "After all these efforts, even if I am able to save a single life, I will believe the purpose of my life is fulfilled," said Aarti, the ANM who currently holds additional responsibility for Kailash Nagar.