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GENEVA: Measles cases worldwide jumped by more than 30% last year compared to 2016, with increases recorded in wealthy European countries like 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 accusing the vaccine with no evidence" have 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 massive inflation as hospitals struggle to conserve their stocks.
"What is more worrying than the increase in the number of reported cases is that we are seeing a continuous transmission of measles in countries that previously had not seen it for several years. years, "said Friede.
"It suggests that we are really regressing." Several countries, including Germany, Russia and Venezuela, have seen their measles removal 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 during 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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