WHO warns of increase in measles cases worldwide

The World Health Organization (WHO) once again warned of the increase in measles cases around the world. “We are extremely concerned about what is happening in relation to measles”, said the entity’s technical advisor for measles and rubella, Natasha Crowcroft.

At a press conference in Geneva, she cited a consistent increase in cases of the disease in all regions of the world, except the Americas. “They are hanging in there, but with cases rising in five of the six regions monitored by WHO, we expect there will be cases and outbreaks in the Americas as well.”

More recent data, according to Natasha, points to more than 300,000 cases of measles reported throughout 2023, an increase of 79% compared to the previous year. In 2023, a total of 51 countries reported major outbreaks of the disease compared to 32 in the previous year.

“We know that the numbers are underestimated”, warned the counselor, referring to underreported cases around the world. The estimate is that, in 2022, the number of deaths from measles will have increased by 43%, totaling more than 130 deaths. “As cases have increased in 2023, we are anticipating that by the time we close the data, the number of deaths will also have increased.”

“Looking ahead to 2024, we know it will be a very challenging year,” he said, warning of cases and deaths among children not vaccinated against measles. The WHO estimate is that more than half of the world’s countries will be classified as at high risk or at very high risk for outbreaks of the disease by the end of the year.

Children and vaccination

The WHO estimates that 142 million children worldwide are vulnerable to measles because they have not been vaccinated, with 62% of them living in low- and middle-income countries, where the risk of outbreaks of the disease is greater.

Natasha recalled that, during the covid-19 pandemic, many children were not immunized against measles. Currently, global vaccination coverage against the disease is at 83% which, according to her, is not enough, since the disease is highly contagious. “We need 95% coverage to prevent measles cases from happening,” she reinforced.

Brazil

In 2016, Brazil received the measles elimination certificate, granted by the WHO. In 2018, however, the virus returned to circulate in the country and, in 2019, after a year of measles circulation, the country lost its certification as a virus-free country.

Data from the Ministry of Health show that, between 2018 and 2022, 9,325, 20,901, 8,100, 676 and 44 cases of measles were confirmed in Brazil, respectively. In 2022, the following states confirmed cases of the disease: Rio de Janeiro, Pará, São Paulo and Amapá, with the last confirmed case in the country being registered in the state of Amapá in June 2022.

The disease

Measles is classified by health authorities as a serious infectious disease that can lead to death. Transmission happens when the infected person coughs, talks, sneezes or breathes near other people.

The main signs of measles are red spots on the body and high fever (above 38.5°) accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms: dry cough, eye irritation (conjunctivitis), runny or blocked nose and intense malaise. After the spots appear, the persistence of fever is a warning sign and may indicate severity, especially in children under 5 years of age.

The most effective way to prevent measles, according to the Ministry of Health, is through vaccination. Currently, three types of immunizations prevent the disease: the double viral vaccine, which protects against measles and rubella and can be used to block vaccines in an outbreak situation; the triple viral vaccine, which protects you against measles, mumps and rubella; and the tetraviral vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox).

*With information from Agência Brasil

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