WHO reports 71% decrease in global measles cases over 24 years due to improved vaccination coverage

According to a report released on Friday by the World Health Organization, worldwide measles cases have decreased by 71% from 2000 to 2024, totaling around 11 million cases. This decline is largely attributed to enhanced vaccination efforts. The report also notes that immunization has prevented nearly 59 million deaths during this period.

Deaths from measles fell even more dramatically, dropping 88% to approximately 95,000 in 2024, marking one of the lowest annual death tolls since 2000. Despite this overall decline, estimated measles cases in 2024 increased by 8% compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, while deaths decreased by 11%. This shift reflects a change in the burden of disease from low-income nations to middle-income countries, which generally experience lower fatality rates.

The WHO highlighted that measles is typically among the first diseases to re-emerge when vaccination coverage declines. Rising outbreaks reveal gaps in immunization programs and weaknesses in healthcare systems. Due to the viruss high contagiousness, even minor drops in vaccination rates can trigger outbreaks. Kate O'Brien, director of WHO's Department of Immunization, compared this to "a fire alarm going off when smoke is detected."

Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore

Author: Sophia Brooks