By Mariam Sunny
(Reuters) -Global measles cases fell 71% to 11 million from the year 2000 to 2024, driven by improved vaccination coverage, the World Health Organization said in a report on Friday.
Vaccination has prevented nearly 59 million deaths globally during this period, according to the report.
Deaths dropped even more sharply by 88% to 95,000 in 2024, among the lowest annual tolls since 2000.
However, estimated cases in 2024 rose 8%, while deaths dropped 11%, compared with 2019 pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a shift in disease burden from low-income to middle-income countries, which have lower fatality ratios, the report said.
Measles is often the first disease to see a resurgence when vaccination coverage drops, the agency said, adding that growing measles outbreaks expose weaknesses in immunization programmes and health systems.
Due to its high transmissibility, "even small drops in vaccine coverage can trigger outbreaks, like a fire alarm going off when smoke is detected," said Kate O'Brien, director of the Department of Immunization at WHO.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Step by step instructions to Get the Best Vehicle Rent Arrangement: Insider Tips and Systems - 2Empathy and reasoning aren’t rivals – new research shows they work together to drive people to help more
- 3Unpaid caregiving work can feel small and personal, but that doesn’t take away its ethical value
- 4Vote In favor of Your Favored Web-based Visual depiction Administration
- 5Meet ‘NASA Mike,’ who’s done 105,000 handstands around the world
- Which Exhibition hall Do You Suggest? Vote
- CRP Subsea secures contract for Vattenfall’s Nordlicht I cable systems
- Experience Is standing by: 10 Pleasant Setting up camp Areas to
- The pace of hiring just fell to the lowest since 2011, outside of the pandemic
- 'Senseless violence' erupts at Christmas tree lighting; 4 injured
- Joshua Made Last-Second Seat Change That Saved His Life
- Takeda's AI-crafted psoriasis pill succeeds in late-stage studies
- Scaling New Levels: Rock Climbing Spots On the planet
- Medicine doesn’t just have ‘conscientious objectors’ − there are ‘conscientious providers,’ too
