Measles cases have increased by 80%, and other diseases may follow, as per UN.
Key Takeaways:
- Measles infections have climbed by approximately 80% worldwide this year, according to the United Nations.
- According to the data, 21 large and disruptive measles outbreaks occurred in the recent 12 months, the majority of which occurred in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
- Gregory argues that completing the Covid vaccine should be given "at least equal importance" to childhood immunization.
According to the United Nations, measles infections have increased by about 80% worldwide this year, which warned that the "canary in the coal mine" ailment suggests that epidemics of other diseases are likely to follow.
According to the UN's children's agency UNICEF and the World Health Organization, the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted vaccination campaigns for non-Covid diseases worldwide, producing a "perfect storm" that might endanger the lives of millions of children.
According to fresh data from UN agencies, 17,300 measles cases were reported globally in January and February, compared to about 9,600 in the same months last year.
According to the data, there were 21 big and disruptive measles outbreaks in the last 12 months, most of which occurred in Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
Because measles is the "most infectious vaccine-preventable disease," Christopher Gregory, senior health adviser in UNICEF's immunization branch, told AFP, it frequently serves as a warning sign.
"Measles is the tracer or canary in the coal mine," he explained, explaining that it "truly reveals us where those gaps in the immunization system are."
After rising cases of yellow fever were detected in West Africa, he stated yellow fever was one of the diseases that could spread next.
"We're especially concerned about the most vulnerable countries, where healthcare systems are already under strain and still dealing with the effects of Covid on top of these outbreaks," he said.
According to UN data, Somalia had the most measles cases in the past year, with over 9,000 cases, followed by Yemen, Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, all of which are in conflict.
There are also worries that the conflict in Ukraine will resurface after the country registered Europe's highest rate of measles between 2017 and 2019.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Gregory said it's been impossible to keep track of any disease, adding that the biggest fear is "what we might be missing."
As the Covid epidemic spread, more than 23 million youngsters missed out on basic vaccinations in 2020, the highest number in more than a decade.
57 vaccine campaigns in 43 countries that were postponed at the outset of the pandemic have still not been finished, affecting 203 million people, the majority of whom are children, according to UN agencies.
Covid also continues to strain healthcare facilities, diverting resources and attention away from long-standing fatal diseases that require vaccination.
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The consequences of these delays to immunization services will be felt for decades to come."
"Now is the time to get crucial vaccinations back on track and begin catch-up programs so that everyone has access to these life-saving vaccines," says the author.
Gregory believes that childhood immunization should be given "at least equal priority" to completing the Covid vaccine.
Measles is a virus-borne illness that primarily affects youngsters. Blindness, brain enlargement, diarrhea, and severe respiratory infections are the most significant consequences.
According to UN data, the best approach to prevent HIV from spreading is to have at least 95 percent of people vaccinated, though many nations fall well short of that goal, with Somalia having only 46 percent.