13 Nov
The World Health Organization says the number of reported cases of measles around the world surged to nearly 870,000 last year, the highest in about two decades.
The WHO said on Thursday that 869,770 cases of measles were confirmed worldwide in 2019, with an estimated 207,500 deaths. The infection number is the largest since 1996, when the figure began to drop.
The WHO partly ascribes the latest data to "large outbreaks" in nine countries, including Georgia, North Macedonia and Samoa, in addition to Africa, where the disease had already been spreading. The health body also cites "a failure to vaccinate children on time."
UNICEF cautions that a growing number of children have not been inoculated against measles. It says the coronavirus pandemic has strained health care systems, causing a lack of personnel who can administer vaccinations.
The agency adds that parents have been refraining from getting their children vaccinated for fear that they could contract the coronavirus.
The WHO says, "As of November, more than 94 million people were at risk of missing vaccinations due to paused measles campaigns in 26 countries."
The organization is calling on governments to conduct thorough vaccinations against measles.
NHK
