News 24 World Health Organization: Measles cases increase worldwide due to lack of immunization coverage

A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a sudden increase in measles cases worldwide in 2017, causing 110,000 deaths.

The report attributed the increase in measles cases to differences in immunization coverage rates, noting that the coverage rate of the first dose of the vaccine against the disease in the last 17 years had not exceeded 85 % only, while coverage rates for the second dose were 67%.

According to the report, it is the Region of the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the European region that have recorded the highest number of cases of sudden increase in the number of measles cases, as well as the incidence of the disease in the Pacific region.

The report describes measles as a serious and highly contagious disease leading to complications of exhaustion and loss of mind, including inflammation causing swelling of the brain, severe diarrhea and drought, pneumonia, otitis and chronic vision loss, indicating that infants and malnourished children most vulnerable to measles.

The Ministry of Health said measles and rubella would be eliminated in the Kingdom by the end of 2020.