Global cases of measles are surging to shocking levels, with cases increased in 98 countries around the world and growing by 244 percent in Ireland alone.
There were 25 Irish cases in 2017 compared to 86 in 2018, but 10 countries account for three-quarters of the global rise.
UNICEF has warned of the "disastrous" consequences for children if the disease continues spreading unchecked following a worldwide survey undertaken by the UN children's agency.
This is a wake up call. Lack of action today will have disastrous consequences for children tomorrow. #VaccinesWork @unicefchief https://t.co/G5zcAbouP3
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) March 1, 2019
Several other countries had been declared measles free previously, but have now seen new cases, indicating an erosion in the progress made against the highly preventable but potentially deadly disease.
Peter Power, UNICEF Ireland’s Executive Director, said;
“This is a wake-up call. We have a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine against a highly contagious disease- a vaccine that has saved almost a million lives every year over the last two decades."
These cases haven’t happened overnight. Just as the serious outbreaks we are seeing today took hold in 2018, lack of action today will have disastrous consequences for children tomorrow," he continued.
Measles is a highly contagious disease, even more so than Ebola, influenza and tuberculosis. It can be contracted up to two hours after an infected person has left a room, spreading through air and infecting the respiratory tract.
It is potentially fatal to malnourished children and babies who are too young to have obtained the vaccine. There is no specific treatment for measles once infected, making the vaccine a life-saving tool.
Increases were noted in areas where access to vaccines has been disrupted and in countries experiencing war and strife, but also states undergoing more “vaccine hesitancy” caused by the spread of anti-vaccine misinformation.
Peter Power comment on the increased mistrust regarding vaccines in recent years;
“Almost all of these cases are preventable, and yet children are getting infected even in places where there is simply no excuse,” he said.
“Measles may be the disease, but, all too often, the real infection is misinformation, mistrust and complacency. We must do more to accurately inform every parent, to help us safely vaccinate every child.”
In the 10 worst-affected countries, the Philippines, Brazil and Ukraine have noted the largest increases in measles cases. In the US, reports of the disease have increased six-fold since 2017, reaching 791 cases.
Henrietta H Fore, UNICEF's executive director claims that the increase in cases is "a wake up call";
“We have a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine against a highly contagious disease- a vaccine that has saved almost a million lives every year over the past two decades."
The report is blaming the worldwide surge on a perfect storm of inferior health infrastructure, war, a lack of effective health education, complacency, misinformation and vaccine hesitancy in both developing and developed countries.
UNICEF is issuing an urgent appeal to governments, healthcare providers and parents to fight the disease with more action.
According to their statement understanding that vaccines are safe and effective and can save a child’s life is a key point of information, as well as the importance of vaccinating all children between the ages of six months to five years during outbreaks.
Training and equipping health workers so they can provide quality services is necessary, and strengthening immunisation programmes to deliver all life-saving vaccines.
The organisation and it's partners are currently trying to reach millions of children around the globe to potentially save lives.
Feature image: UNICEF
