Background Mongolia was one of the four countries that received a measles-elimination certificate from the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific in 2014. Following the outbreaks in many countries including China, a large measles outbreak occurred in Mongolia in 2015. This study reports 2015–2016 measles outbreak incidence, mortality, and complications, according to time, geographical distribution, and host characteristics. Methods The epidemiological characteristics and trends of measles outbreak were analyzed using the Mongolian national surveillance data reported to the Center for Health Development, Ministry of Health, from January 2015 to December 2016. Results In total, 23,464 cases of measles including eight deaths were reported in 2015, and 30,273 cases of measles including 132 deaths were reported in 2016, which peaked in June 2015 and March 2016, respectively. Majority of the cases were reported from Ulaanbaatar (35,397, 65.9%). The highest attack rates were 241 per 10,000 population in Darkhan-Uul aimag, and 263 per 10,000 population in Ulaanbaatar. Measles-related death, nosocomial infection, and complications were most frequent among children aged < 1 year. Conclusions Following no reports of measles since 2011, a large nationwide outbreak occurred in Mongolia, despite the high vaccination coverage in the past. The highest incidence rate was reported in Ulaanbaatar city, and Umnugovi aimag in 2015 and Darkhan-Uul aimag in 2016. The most affected age group were aged < 1 year and those aged 15–24 years. Mortality cases were prominent among children aged < 1 year who were not eligible for vaccination. A systematic vaccination strategy is required to prevent another measles outbreak. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6511-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives This study aimed to understand the rate of sickness absence (SA) among employees of public healthcare organizations in Mongolia, to identify factors associated with long‐term SA, and to estimate costs due to SA. Methods This cross‐sectional study included employees of public healthcare organizations who had certified SA from 2016 to 2018. Sociodemographic and occupational characteristics of absentees and the data on absences were collected. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with long‐term SA (≥15 days) among employees who had SA. Absence parameters and the average costs due to SA were calculated and the total cost due to SA at all public healthcare organizations was estimated. Results From 2016 to 2018, there were 13 653 absentees and 21 043 SA, and the absence rate was 0.9%. The average absence length per absence and absentee were 9.63 days and 14.85 days, respectively. Factors associated with long‐term SA were age ≥40 years, 10–19 years in employment, working at the second and tertiary levels, and night shift. The average cost per absentee was 295.5 USD, and the estimated total cost for all health organizations was 1 796 993 USD per year. Conclusions The absence rate was 0.9% and older age, longer work experience, higher organizational level, and night shift were associated with taking a long‐term SA. To reduce the costs of absenteeism and promote the health of employees in healthcare organizations, policymakers should review the policies related to SA and develop national guidelines on SA for employers, healthcare managers, and employees.