Samoa has lifted a six-week state of emergency after the infection rate from a measles outbreak that swept the country started to come under control

Samoa had been gripped by the highly infectious disease, which has killed 81 people, most of them babies and young children, and infected more than 5,600 people.

The government says the emergency orders, which included aggressive measures to contain the virus such as closing schools and restricting travel, had ended.

Death and infection rates in Samoa started to slow in mid-December after a vaccine drive pushed immunisation rates towards 95%, the level aid agencies say is effective in creating "herd immunity" .