MANILA, May 21 (Xinhua) -- China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has won the fight against rubella, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday, noting Hong Kong has achieved rubella-free status.

The Manila-based WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific said its Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination verified that Hong Kong "had met all elimination criteria, including the interruption of transmission since 2016, for a period greater than 36 months" at its annual meeting held virtually from May 17 to 21.

At the meeting, the WHO said Hong Kong now joins Australia, Brunei, China's Macao, New Zealand and South Korea as countries and areas to successfully interrupt the endemic transmission of the virus that causes rubella.

Takeshi Kasai, WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said the success of Hong Kong with rubella elimination "underscores the importance of strong systems for routine immunization and surveillance for infectious diseases."

The WHO said the rubella elimination in the region continues to progress while challenges remain, warning that several countries and areas in the region are still experiencing rubella outbreaks among adults.

The WHO said the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted essential immunization services, leaving millions of children unprotected from measles, rubella, and polio.

Rubella is a contagious viral disease that often infects children and young adults. It can cause a miscarriage or serious birth defects in a developing baby if a woman is infected while pregnant.