Between January and 5 December 2023, 30,601 cases of measles were confirmed in Europe and Central Asia, compared to 909 in 2022, an increase of 3,266%. This was made known by UNICEF, which is calling for urgent public health measures due to the possible devastating effects. The highest rate was detected in Kazakhstan with 69 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, equal to 13,254 cases. Kyrgyzstan ranks second in terms of number of measles cases, with 58 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, equal to 3,811 cases. Romania which announced a nationwide measles epidemic last week has a rate of 9.6 cases per 100,000 (1,855 cases).
Approximately 931,000 children in Europe and Central Asia did not receive all or part of routine vaccines between 2019 and 2021. The first-dose measles vaccination rate decreased from 96% in 2019 to 93% in 2022. “Not there is a clearer sign of the collapse of vaccination coverage than an increase in measles cases. Such a marked increase requires urgent attention and public health measures to protect children from this dangerous and deadly disease,” said Regina De Dominicis, UNICEF Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.
“Measles has a devastating effect on a child’s health, sometimes with fatal consequences. It causes a long-lasting weakening of children’s immune systems, making them more vulnerable to other infectious diseases, including pneumonia.”
The increase in measles cases is attributable to a decrease in vaccination coverage in the region. The decline in demand for vaccines has been fueled in part by misinformation and mistrust that worsened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, disruption to health services and weakness in primary health care systems.
UNICEF works with governments, Gavi (the Vaccine Alliance), WHO and other partners “to generate data, identify zero-dose children and missing communities, understand the root causes of delay from view of supply and demand and evaluate context-specific causes and risk factors”.
Read the full article on ANSA.it
2023-12-14 17:34:00
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