Measles cases triple in 2019, according to the UN

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The number of measles cases reported worldwide in the first three months of 2019 has tripled compared to the same period of last year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The UN body said the provisional data indicated a "clear trend", with outbreaks in all parts of the world.

Africa has seen the most dramatic rise – 700%.

The agency said the actual figures could be much larger, as one in ten cases worldwide is reported.

Measles is a highly infectious viral disease that can sometimes lead to serious health complications, including lung and brain infections.

Ukraine, Madagascar and India were the most affected by the disease, with tens of thousands of cases reported per million inhabitants.

Since September, at least 800 people have died from measles in Madagascar alone.

Epidemics have also affected Brazil, Pakistan and Yemen, "causing many deaths, mainly among young children".

In addition, an increase in the number of cases has been reported in countries such as the United States and Thailand where vaccination coverage is high.

According to the United Nations, the disease is "entirely preventable" with the right vaccines, but the global coverage of the first stage of vaccination has "stagnated" at 85%, "still below the 95% needed to prevent epidemics".

Why this sudden "global measles crisis"?

By James Gallagher, Health and Science Correspondent, BBC News

It is one of the most contagious viruses that is, however, nothing has changed regarding measles. It has not become more contagious or more dangerous, but the answers are entirely human.

There are two stories here: one of poverty and one of misinformation. In the poorest countries, fewer people are vaccinated and more of the population remains vulnerable to the virus.

This creates an environment conducive to the emergence of an important epidemic, as in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kyrgyzstan and Madagascar.

But rich countries with apparently high immunization rates are also seeing cases progress dramatically. This is explained by the fact that groups of people choose not to vaccinate their children because of the spread of fake anti-vax messages on social media.

It should be noted that these figures are provisional. WHO says the real numbers will be much higher. And this measles is far from being harmless. It kills about 100,000 people, mostly children, every year.

In an opinion piece for CNN, Henrietta Fore and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO officials, said that "the proliferation of contradictory and confusing information" about vaccines was partly responsible.

"It is understandable, in such a climate, that loving parents may feel lost," they said, adding that "finally, there is no" debate "on the profound benefits of vaccines."

"More than 20 million lives have been saved through measles immunization since the year 2000 alone".

In response to recent measles outbreaks, calls have been made in several countries to make vaccination mandatory.

Last month, Italy banned children under six years of age from going to school, unless they were vaccinated against chicken pox, measles and fever. other diseases.

A public health emergency has also been declared in parts of New York, requiring all residents to be vaccinated or face a fine.