Measles cases in Europe surge nearly 45-fold, WHO says
- The UN health agency called for urgent vaccination efforts to halt the spread of the disease, after 42,200 infections were reported on the continent in 2023
- Russia and Kazakhstan fared the worst, with 10,000 cases each from January to October last year; in western Europe, Britain had the most cases with 183
Measles cases soared in Europe in 2023 to 42,200, a nearly 45-fold increase over the previous year, the UN health agency said on Tuesday, calling for urgent vaccination efforts to halt the spread.
Some 41 countries out of 53 the World Health Organization includes in its Europe region reported the infectious disease, WHO said. In 2022, 941 cases were registered.
Vaccination rates against the disease slipped during the Covid-19 pandemic and “urgent vaccination efforts are needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread”.
Russia and Kazakhstan fared the worst, with 10,000 cases each from January to October last year. In western Europe, Britain had the most cases with 183.
The WHO also said there were nearly 21,000 hospitalisations and five measles-related deaths in the January-October period. “This is concerning,” WHO said.