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
The most effective method to Shake Hands During a Pandemic: Wellbeing Tips and Behavior - 221 Things You Ought to Never Share with Your Childless Companion
- 3Hundreds of kilos of protected plant seized by Israel Nature and Parks Authority in Golan
- 4Burkina Faso forces killed twice as many civilians as jihadists, rights group says
- 5Vote in favor of Your Number one Smartwatch: Exactness and Style Matter
- 6 Nations for Setting up camp
- Jupiter and the moon take a sunset stroll on March 26. Here's how to see it
- The pace of hiring just fell to the lowest since 2011, outside of the pandemic
- Ukraine demands army of 800,000 under peace plan
- As nations push for more ambition at climate talks, chairman says they may get it
- What’s your chronotype? Knowing whether you’re a night owl or an early bird could help you do better on tests and avoid scams
- Foreign military officials can become Israel's ambassadors, senior IDF commander tells 'Post'
- Met Gala 2026 will celebrate fashion as an 'embodied art form': A guide to the theme, dress code, cochairs and hosting committee of the starry event
- Fireball sightings are surging across the US — here's what's really going on
