Measles cases have increased by about 80% worldwide this year, according to the United Nations, which added that the increase was a forewarning of future epidemics of other diseases.
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO), the coronavirus pandemic disrupted vaccination campaigns for several diseases around the world, producing a “perfect storm” that might endanger the lives of millions of children.
“In January and February 2022, about 17,338 measles cases were reported worldwide, compared to 9,665 in the first two months of 2021,” the UN agencies said, adding that instances of highly-transmissible measles tend to appear swiftly when vaccination levels decrease.
The organisations are also worried that measles outbreaks “may foreshadow outbreaks of other diseases that move more slowly.”
According to UN data, there have been 21 big and disruptive measles outbreaks in the last 12 months, the most of which have occurred in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
According to UN data, Somalia had the most measles cases in the last 12 months, with over 9,000 cases, followed by Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia — all of which are in conflict.
There are also concerns that the conflict in Ukraine would resurge the disease in the country, which had the highest prevalence of measles in Europe between 2017 and 2019.
As the COVID-19 epidemic progressed, more than 23 million children missed routine vaccinations in 2020, the highest number of children to miss immunizations in more than a decade.
57 vaccine campaigns in 43 countries were postponed at the outset of the pandemic, according to UN agencies, and they have still not been completed, affecting 203 million people, the majority of whom are children.
The pandemic continues to put strain on healthcare facilities and personnel, diverting focus away from the importance of vaccination against long-standing and dangerous diseases.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “Now is the time to bring vital immunisation back on track and initiate catch-up programmes so that everyone can have access to these life-saving vaccines.”
He predicted that the disruptions to vaccine programmes would last “decades.”
Measles is a virus-borne illness that primarily affects children. Blindness, brain enlargement, diarrhoea, and severe respiratory infections are among the most significant consequences.
The best strategy to prevent the disease from spreading is to have at least 95% of the population vaccinated, yet many countries fall well short of this objective.
According to UN figures, vaccination coverage in Somalia is only 46%.
