KEY POINTS
- The number of measles cases increased by 20 percent in 2016, affecting in excess of 10.3 million people.
- Worldwide, with low vaccination rates, 22 million children are unprotected.
- Outbreaks in 57 countries have disrupted efforts at global elimination.
Over 10.3 million measles infections were reported globally in 2023, a surge of 20 percent, according to a joint World Health Organization (WHO) and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report.
The immunization coverage was cited as insufficient and millions of children are exposed to one of the world’s most contagious diseases.
Measles cases up globally as vaccine gaps increase
Despite being preventable with two doses of vaccine, 22 million children missed their first dose of measles last year.
The first dose was administered to 83 percent of children globally, but only 74 percent completed the second dose. WHO recommends 95 percent coverage of both doses to stop outbreaks, protect communities.
“The measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director General. And we need to invest in immunization for everyone, everywhere, to save even more lives.”
Global elimination goals threatened by disruptive outbreaks
Currently, 57 countries reported large measles outbreaks in 2023, sharply increasing from 36 the previous year. Half of the outbreaks affected Africa, followed by Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia, and Western Pacific.
In 2023 tragically 107,500 people (infants in the majority) died from complications of measles. Despite this, overall deaths were down 8 percent from 2022, but the increase in cases threatens to push the world off track toward meeting the global elimination goal under the Immunization Agenda 2030.
The WHO report called for concentrated immunization campaigns to close immunization gaps, especially in fragile and conflict affected regions. For example, Brazil was successful, and the WHO Americas Region became measles-free again.
