43% Increase in Global Deaths From Measles – WHO Report

GS Paper III Science and Technology

Context:

The number of measles deaths worldwide increased by 43% from 2021 to 2022 according to a new assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 2022, there were an estimated 136,000 deaths from measles disease globally, most of which were among children.
Measles Outbreaks: Around 37 countries saw disruptive measles outbreaks in 2022, with 28 countries in the African Region, 6 in the Eastern Mediterranean, 2 in Southeast Asia, and 1 in Europe.

It is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus.
Measles disease is caused by a single-stranded, enveloped RNA virus with 1 serotype.
It is classified as a member of the genus Morbillivirus in the Paramyxoviridae family.
Humans are the only natural hosts of the measles virus.
Transmission: It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs, or sneezes. It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death.
Affects: Anyone but is most common in children and infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.
Symptoms: Include a high fever, cough, runny nose, and a rash all over the body.

Safe and cost-effective vaccines are available and measles vaccination averted 56 million deaths between 2000 and 2021.
- The MMR vaccine protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. Measles can be avoided with two vaccination doses.
However, despite a small rise in vaccination coverage worldwide from 2021 to 2022, 33 million children were still not vaccinated against measles.
In 2022, about 83% of the world’s children received their first dose of the measles vaccine, the lowest since 2008.
India’s Strategy: To eradicate measles by 2023, India has plans to vaccinate 95% of the population with two doses of the measles vaccine under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush.