The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued an alert on the worrisome rise in measles cases globally, reporting a 79% increase over the previous year, with over 306,000 cases documented in 2023, according to Business Recorder.
Natasha Crowcroft, a WHO expert consultant on measles and rubella, emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating that measles cases are likely greatly under-reported, implying a much higher actual number.
While the UN health organization has not yet completed modeling for last year, their most recent prediction for 2022 shows 9.2 million cases and 136,216 measles-related fatalities.
Crowcroft reported a 43% increase in deaths in 2022, expecting a difficult year with a possible increase in fatalities in 2023 due to rising case numbers.
More than half of all countries worldwide are expected to be at high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year, with an estimated 142 million children vulnerable to the disease, making the situation “very challenging.”
Measles, a highly contagious disease that primarily affects children, can cause serious complications such as blindness, brain swelling, diarrhea, and respiratory infections.
The increase in incidence is due to a drop in immunization coverage, as at least 95% of children require full vaccination to avoid outbreaks, while global rates have fallen to 83%.
The distribution of cases is markedly unequal, with 92% of measles-related child fatalities happening in fewer than a quarter of the global population, particularly in very low-income nations.
