A United Nations report indicated that the number of measles cases in Yemen has risen to more than nine thousand, resulting in the death of dozens of children, since the beginning of this year.
And it was stated in a report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Yemen, on Sunday, that since the beginning of the year, “measles cases have risen to 9418, with the death of 77 children, and the cases of polio, diphtheria and whooping cough are on the rise, as well as the increase in the number of deaths caused.” for every disease.
The report indicated that Yemen recorded more than 22,000 measles cases last year, including 161 deaths, warning of the possibility of an unusually high death rate, especially if malnutrition rates continue to increase.
The report also stated that 228 children have been paralyzed since 2021.
what is that disease?
Says Global Health Organization Measles immunization during the period 2000-2015 prevented an estimated 20.3 million deaths, making the measles vaccine one of the best public health vaccines to buy.
Just Mayo Clinic website Measles is an infection in children caused by a virus. Once widespread, measles is now almost always preventable with a vaccine.
Measles is also called rubella, depending on the location, and it spreads easily and is a serious or even fatal disease in the case of young children.
Although death rates have declined worldwide as more children receive the measles vaccine, the disease still kills more than 200,000 people a year, most of them children.
Signs and symptoms of measles usually include:
- fever
- dry cough
- Runny nose
- sore throat
- Inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis)
- Small white spots with bluish-white foci on a red background inside the mouth on the inner lining of the cheek, also called Koplik’s spots
- A rash consisting of large, flat spots, often joined together
As for the World Health Organization, it says that the first sign of the disease is usually a high fever that begins on the 10th or 12th day after exposure to the virus and lasts from 4 to 7 days.
The patient may also, in this first stage, have a cold (runny nose), cough, redness in the eyes, watery eyes, and small white spots inside the cheeks. After several days, the patient develops a rash that usually appears on the face and upper neck.
Within about 3 days, the rash descends to the lower body and eventually extends to the hands and feet. The rash lasts 5-6 days and then disappears. This rash occurs within a period ranging from 7 to 18 days after exposure to the virus, and the average is 14 days.
The WHO says measles is a serious and highly contagious disease caused by a virus. In 1980, that is, before widespread vaccination, this disease was killing about 2.6 million people every year.
Measles remains one of the leading causes of death for young children worldwide, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine against it.
The year 2015 witnessed 134,200 deaths due to this disease worldwide, knowing that most of these deaths affected children under the age of five.
Measles is a disease caused by a virus of the paramyxovirus family and is often transmitted by direct contact or through the air. The virus infects the respiratory system and then spreads to the rest of the body. Measles is a human disease for which no animal reservoir is known.
The acceleration of immunization activities has had a significant impact on reducing the number of measles deaths. Measles immunization during the period 2000-2015 prevented an estimated 20.3 million deaths. Global measles deaths decreased by 79 percent from an estimated 651,600 in 2000, to 134,200 in 2015, according to WHO.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, risk factors for measles include:
- Not getting vaccinated.
- Traveling abroad, especially to countries where measles is common.
- Vitamin A deficiency.
Unvaccinated children are at greatest risk of contracting measles and its complications, including death. Unvaccinated pregnant women are also at risk. Anyone who has not received the necessary vaccination (or who has not acquired the necessary immunity through exposure to the disease as a child) faces the risk of infection.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2015, about 85 percent of the world’s children received one dose of measles vaccine before reaching their first birthday as part of routine health services, which represents an increase compared to 2000, when that percentage was about 73 percent. It is recommended to give two doses of the vaccine to ensure immunity and prevent outbreaks, as immunity does not develop in approximately 15 percent of vaccinated children after receiving the first dose.
WHO reports that there is no specific antiviral medicine to treat the measles virus.
“Severe complications from measles can be reduced with supportive care that ensures proper nutrition, adequate fluid intake and dehydration treatment,” she says.
Reuters notes that diseases and epidemics are striking Yemen amid an ongoing war for the ninth year in a row that has claimed the lives of thousands of Yemenis in light of the significant deterioration in the health sector, which caused the war to close half of its medical facilities.
The agency adds that the war in Yemen, which the United Nations says is suffering the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, has destroyed the health sector infrastructure in a country that lives in extreme poverty and 80 percent of its 32.6 million people depend on aid.
2023-04-17 09:53:33
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