The European office of the World Health Organization (WHO) this Thursday called for urgent action over the impact that a measles outbreak on the continent could have on millions of children after recording the highest number of cases in years.
More than 58,000 cases have been reported in 41 of the region’s 53 countries, including Russia and the Central Asian regions, up 30% from last year, on top of thousands of hospitalizations and a dozen deaths.
“The latest figures for 2023 represent a rapid increase on the previous three years and pose a risk to everyone in the region who is not protected. Long-term efforts are needed to predict that the number of cases will continue to rise in 2024,” he warned in a statement. , WHO.
Nearly half of the reported cases were in children under five, reflecting the “huge” impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on health systems and the loss of vaccinations against preventable diseases affecting almost 1.2 million children.
“As the virus continues to spread in many parts of the region, early detection and rapid response are critical to prevent further escalation and ensure progress towards eliminating this highly contagious disease,” said WHO Europe Director Hans Kluge.
WHO reminds that although 33 countries in the European region have managed to eliminate measles in 2022, this achievement is “fragile” as imported cases are “almost inevitable” given the global increase.
Two days ago, the organization warned from its headquarters in Geneva of an overall rise in cases worldwide, warning that more than half of countries were at “high or extreme” risk of measles outbreaks.
According to WHO, the number of reported cases of measles in the world in 2023 increased by 79%, exceeding 306 thousand cases.
Because in many situations cases and deaths are unreported or unrelated to measles, WHO estimates that there will actually be fewer deaths in 2022 than in 2021).
According to WHO, 92% of children who die from measles live in countries where 24% of the world’s population live, most of them poor.
The organization emphasizes that to prevent measles worldwide, it is necessary that 95% of children receive two doses of the vaccine.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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