WHO warns of measles resurgence as vaccine gaps widen
Still, millions of children remain at risk. WHO estimates that in 2024, only 84 per cent of children received their first measles vaccine dose, and just 76 per cent received the second, far below the 95 per cent coverage needed to halt transmission.
Global measles deaths have fallen sharply over the past two decades, but new data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) shows that the disease is resurging as vaccination gaps persist worldwide.
In its latest report, WHO says measles deaths dropped by 88 per cent between 2000 and 2024, with nearly 59 million lives saved through immunisation.
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Despite this long-term progress, measles remains a serious threat. WHO reports that about 95,000 people, most of them children under the age of five, died from the disease in 2024. While this is among the lowest annual death tolls in more than 20 years, the organisation notes that every one of these deaths could have been prevented with timely vaccination.
At the same time, global infections are rising. According to the WHO, measles cases surged to an estimated 11 million in 2024, nearly 800,000 more than in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that measles “will exploit any gap in our collective defences,” stressing that full vaccination in every community is essential to stop outbreaks and save lives.
“Measles is the world's most contagious virus, and these data show once again how it will exploit any gap in our collective defences against it,” said Ghebreyesus. “Measles does not respect borders, but when every child in every community is vaccinated against it, costly outbreaks can be avoided, lives can be saved, and this disease can be eliminated from entire nations.”
The report shows sharp regional disparities. Compared with 2019, cases increased by 86 per cent in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, 47 per cent in Europe and 42 per cent in South-East Asia.
The African Region, however, recorded a 40 per cent decline in cases and a 50 per cent drop in deaths, which the WHO attributes to improved immunisation coverage.
Still, millions of children remain at risk. WHO estimates that in 2024, only 84 per cent of children received their first measles vaccine dose, and just 76 per cent received the second, far below the 95 per cent coverage needed to halt transmission. More than 30 million children were under-protected last year, with most living in conflict-affected or vulnerable regions in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean.
WHO warns that measles remains the first disease to rebound when vaccination coverage slips, highlighting weaknesses in global health systems and jeopardising progress under the Immunisation Agenda 2030.
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