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GENEVA: Measles cases worldwide increased by more than 30% last year compared to 2016, with increases recorded in wealthy European countries such as Germany, where vaccination coverage is historically high, announced Thursday the UN.
The World Health Organization said the alarming trend of measles cases to resurgence was a near-global phenomenon, but that causes varied from one region to another.
In Europe, experts attributed the problem in part to complacency and misinformation about a vaccine that has proven to be both safe and effective.
Martin Friede, Director of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO, told reporters that "the so-called experts who were laying charges against the vaccine without any evidence" had an impact on parents' decisions.
He cited non-medical allegations linking measles vaccine and autism, which were partly disseminated on social media by members of the so-called "anti-vax" movement.
But cases have also increased in Latin America, partly because of "the collapse of the health system in Venezuela," said Gavi alliance chief for immunization, Seth Berkley, in a statement. communicated.
A crippling political and economic crisis in Venezuela has led to mbadive inflation as hospitals struggle to conserve their stocks.
"What is more disturbing than the increase in reported cases is that we are seeing continued measles transmission in countries that previously had not seen this disease for many years," he said. Friede.
"This suggests that we are actually regressing." Several countries – notably Germany, Russia, and Venezuela – have seen their measles clearance certificate removed in the last 12 months.
A country loses its measles elimination status when "the same type of virus has been circulating for more than 12 consecutive months," according to WHO.
The WHO emphasized that the global fight against measles had shown impressive results this century. In 2000, more than 850,000 cases were reported worldwide, compared to 173,000 last year.
These advances have made recent setbacks even more frustrating, said Ann Lindstrand, WHO immunization expert.
Posted in Dawn, November 30, 2018
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