GENEVA, NOV 15 – The number of measles infections worldwide will increase by 20 percent between 2022 and 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US health agency CDC.
Global cases are estimated to reach 10.3 million in 2023, with almost 110,000 deaths recorded, mostly involving children under the age of five, which is about eight percent lower than the previous year, the German news agency reported. dpayesterday.
Health authorities inform that the disease can be prevented with two doses of the vaccine.
Globally, 83 percent of children received the first dose, but only 74 percent got the second dose.
According to the report, if 95 percent of children in every country, region, and group were vaccinated, the epidemic could be prevented.
“The measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
According to the WHO, around 57 million deaths could be prevented through vaccination between 2000 and 2020.
“To save more lives and stop this deadly virus from affecting the most vulnerable, we must invest in immunization for everyone regardless of background,” said Tedros.
A total of 57 countries reported measles outbreaks in 2023, almost half of which were recorded in Africa, the WHO and CDC reported. – Named
