Measles deaths have fallen sharply since 2000, but health officials now warn of a resurgence.
Measles cases rose by 47 per cent in Europe and Central Asia last year because vaccination rates dropped, according to a new WHO report. Officials say global progress in reducing infections and deaths has started to erode.
In 2024, measles killed an estimated 95,000 people worldwide, mostly children under five. That number remains far lower than the 780,000 deaths recorded in 2000, yet the WHO insists that “every death from a disease that could be prevented with a highly effective and low-cost vaccine is unacceptable”.
WHO data shows that vaccination campaigns have saved nearly 59 million lives since 2000.
Yet measles infections continue to climb. Global cases reached an estimated 11 million last year, about 800,000 more than before the pandemic. The agency reported over 120,000 cases in Europe and Central Asia in 2024, the highest figure in more than 25 years.
Major outbreaks hit 59 countries last year, nearly triple the number seen in 2021.
Immunisation Gaps Drive Outbreaks
“Measles is the world’s most contagious virus, and these data show once again how it will exploit any gap in our collective defences against it,” WHO chief Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
WHO officials cite declining vaccination uptake as the main reason for rising outbreaks. Because measles spreads so efficiently, health authorities say communities need at least 95 per cent immunisation to prevent transmission.
Last year, 84 per cent of children received their first measles vaccine dose, and 76 per cent received the second. Those figures improved slightly from the previous year, with two million additional children vaccinated.
However, over 30 million children remained “under-protected” in 2024, mostly in Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean. Even countries with high national coverage can experience outbreaks when unvaccinated pockets form.
WHO analysts warn that measles often reappears first when immunisation levels slip, highlighting weaknesses in health systems and vaccination programmes worldwide.
Children who survive measles face greater risk of severe complications, including pneumonia, blindness, and encephalitis, which can cause brain swelling and long-term damage.
WHO Urges Stronger Global Action
The WHO now calls for increased funding and renewed global commitment to measles elimination.
Tedros emphasised that “measles does not respect borders, but when every child in every community is vaccinated against it, costly outbreaks can be avoided, lives can be saved, and this disease can be eliminated from entire nations.”
