Dangerous disease
WHO sounds the alarm: measles is spreading rapidly
Updated on November 15, 2024 – 7:37 a.m. Reading time: 2 min.
Measles: In Germany, the number of reported cases is still limited. (Symbolic image) (Source: Marius Becker/dpa/dpa-bilder)
It is an infectious disease that can cause permanent damage and death: measles. The number of infections is growing worldwide.
Doctors thought they had the dangerous disease measles almost under control, but new data shows a frightening development: the number of infections worldwide has risen by 20 percent in a year, said the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US health authority CDC. In 2023, the number of cases worldwide was estimated at 10.3 million.
Almost 110,000 people died, most of them children under five. This was around eight percent less than in the previous year. The reason: larger outbreaks occurred in 2023 in countries where children were better fed and could cope better with the disease and where there was better health care.
One of the world’s most contagious diseases can be prevented with two doses of vaccine, it said. But last year 22 million children did not receive their first dose of vaccination. Worldwide, 83 percent of children received a first dose, but only 74 percent received a second. If 95 percent of children in every country, region and group are vaccinated, outbreaks could be prevented.
When infected with measles, fever, photophobia and inflammation of the mucous membrane in the mouth usually first appear, followed by a skin rash. Most cases heal without lasting effects, but there is a risk of brain, lung and middle ear infections, which can cause permanent damage and death.
“Measles vaccinations have saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. According to WHO information, around 57 million deaths were prevented between 2000 and 2020 because of vaccinations. More needs to be done to ensure that all children everywhere are vaccinated, said Tedros.
WHO and CDC said 57 countries reported outbreaks in 2023, almost half of them in Africa. Among other things, children miss their vaccinations when their families are fleeing violence and conflict. The number of conflicts and displaced people worldwide has been growing for years.
In Germany, the Robert Koch Institute has observed an increase in measles cases since 2023 “and especially since January 2024.” However, they were still well below the level before the corona pandemic. From January 1, 2023 to March 15, 2024, 94 cases were reported; in 2019 there were 516. With the global increase, infections could increasingly be imported into Germany again, the RKI warned in March.
