Measles, a highly contagious yet preventable disease, requires two doses of the measles vaccine for effective protection. However, in 2023, over 22 million children globally missed their first dose. While approximately 83% of children received their initial dose, only 74% received the second recommended dose.

Experts emphasize that a vaccination coverage rate of 95% or greater with two doses is essential in every country and community to prevent outbreaks and safeguard populations from this highly contagious virus.

Global Impact and Response

“The number of measles infections are rising around the globe, endangering lives and health,”

Due to persistent gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries experienced meaningful measles outbreaks in 2023, impacting all regions except the Americas.This represents a nearly 60% increase from the 36 countries affected the previous year. The WHO African, Eastern Mediterranean, European, Southeast Asia and Western Pacific regions have all seen a considerable rise in cases, with nearly half of the major outbreaks occurring in Africa.

Despite these challenges, Brazil was recently re-verified as having eliminated measles, marking the WHO Americas Region as once again free of endemic measles. with the exception of the African Region,at least one country in all WHO regions has successfully eliminated the disease.

The Unacceptable Death Toll

Data indicates that approximately 107,500 people, predominantly children under the age of 5, died from measles in 2023. While this represents an 8% decrease from the previous year, the number remains unacceptably high. The slight reduction in deaths is largely attributed to the surge in cases occurring in regions with better nutritional status and healthcare access.

Even when individuals survive measles, they can experience severe and lasting health complications, including blindness, pneumonia, and encephalitis, notably affecting infants and young children.

Urgent Action Needed

The global goal of measles elimination, as outlined