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Measles deaths declined 74% from 2000 to 2007
Goal of reducing mortality rate by 90% by 2010 may be possible.
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The number of measles deaths declined from 750,000 in 2000 to 197,000 in 2007, according to findings recently released by WHO and the CDC.
The mortality rate declined most significantly in heavily stricken areas including Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
Edward Hoekstra, MD, MSc, senior health specialist with the Global Measles Programme & Health Emergencies at UNICEF headquarters, was involved in the publication of the report. “Most of the countries in Africa have almost no measles,” he told Infectious Disease News. “This is largely due to effective strategies that have been put in place to protect children against the disease. We are using an excellent, relatively cheap, effective vaccine.”
However, Hoekstra said that despite concerted efforts in developing countries that are frequently plagued by disease, developed nations also have experienced incidences of measles. “Industrialized countries including Switzerland have had large outbreaks,” he said. “Deaths have occurred recently in the United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, often because parents chose not to vaccinate their children against measles.”
Results of studies have shown that the health care provider is the most important source of information to parents about the need for vaccination, according to Hoekstra. “Many parents do not realize the nature of measles,” he said. “It is the duty of each practicing clinician to ensure that all parents of newborn children are aware of the dangers and risks to children who are not vaccinated against the childhood vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Encouraging statistics
Vaccine initiatives targeting 47 countries worldwide may have prevented as many as 11 million deaths. The researchers estimated that 96% of the decline in measles deaths around the world was attributed to fatalities avoided in those countries during 2000 to 2007. However, 98% of the measles fatalities worldwide occurred in the 47 priority countries in 2007.
It is estimated that routine measles vaccination coverage reached 82% worldwide in 2007. Most of the deaths occurred among children aged younger than 5 years.
Surveillance programs and activities also increased during 2000 to 2007. In 2000, 168 countries reported measles surveillance data to WHO and UNICEF. There were 178 countries reporting by 2007. When WHO member states implemented case-based surveillance in 2004, 120 countries participated. That figure reached 162 in 2007. – by Jay Lewis
For more information:
- CDC. Progress in global measles control and mortality reduction, 2000-2007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2008;57:1303-1306.