Global measles cases drop 71% in 24 years as vaccination coverage improves, WHO says

By Mariam Sunny

Nov 28 (Reuters) - Global measles cases fell 71% to 11 million from the year 2000 to 2024, driven by improved vaccination coverage, the World Health Organization said in a report on Friday.

Vaccination has prevented nearly 59 million deaths globally during this period, according to the report.

Deaths dropped even more sharply by 88% to 95,000 in 2024, among the lowest annual tolls since 2000.

However, estimated cases in 2024 rose 8%, while deaths dropped 11%, compared with 2019 pre-pandemic levels, reflecting a shift in disease burden from low-income to middle-income countries, which have lower fatality ratios, the report said.

Measles is often the first disease to see a resurgence when vaccination coverage drops, the agency said, adding that growing measles outbreaks expose weaknesses in immunization programmes and health systems.

Due to its high transmissibility, "even small drops in vaccine coverage can trigger outbreaks, like a fire alarm going off when smoke is detected," said Kate O'Brien, director of the Department of Immunization at WHO.