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Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSGEE5B20OE._CH_.2400
Measles deaths drop by 78 pct but resurgence feared
Thu Dec 3, 2009 12:00pm EST
* Deaths drop by 78 percent globally but southeast Asia lags
* 400 children still die every day from preventable disease
* Experts say vaccination campaigns must be kept up
By Kate Kelland
LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Global deaths from measles fell by 78 percent between 2000 and 2008 thanks largely to mass childhood vaccination campaigns, but experts say death rates may rise again if complacency allows immunisation efforts to lag.
About 164,000 died from measles in 2008 down from 733,000 in 2000, according to the U.S.-based Measles Initiative, which groups several organisations including the United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation.
Vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles with large-scale immunisation programmes and increased routine vaccination coverage, has prevented an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths in less than a decade, the group said.
But it said southeast Asia, which it said includes India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, lagged behind the global trend, with measles deaths falling only 46 percent between 2000 and 2008.
"Three out of four children who died from measles in 2008 were in India," UNICEF's executive director Ann Veneman said in a statement. She added India's plan to scale up its measles vaccination campaign was "encouraging".
The Measles Initiative warned it faced a funding gap of $59 million for 2010 which could allow a resurgence in measles deaths. "The combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment could result in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths between 2010-13," it said.
Thomas Frieden, director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that while global progress had been impressive, more than 400 children, mainly in poor nations, were dying every day from "completely preventable infection".
He warned measles could make a rapid comeback: "We saw this in the United States between 1989 and 1991, when an estimated 55 000 measles cases and more than 130 deaths occurred."
Parents' refusal to have their children vaccinated because of fears of links to autism caused a rise in measles cases in the United States and parts of Europe in recent years.
Many studies have debunked the notion vaccines can cause autism but data released in February for England and Wales showed a rise in measles cases of more than 70 percent in 2008 from the previous year, mostly due to unvaccinated children. [ID:nL5739347]
The Measles Initiative said all regions of the world except southeast Asia had hit the United Nations goal of reducing measles deaths by 90 percent from 2000 to 2010 two years ahead of target, but warned against complacency.
"This is a highly contagious disease that can quickly take advantage of any lapse in effort," said WHO director general Margaret Chan. (Editing by Matthew Jones) ((kate.kelland@thomsonreuters.com; +44 (0)207 542 0823))
Measles deaths drop by 78 pct but resurgence feared
Thu Dec 3, 2009 12:00pm EST
* Deaths drop by 78 percent globally but southeast Asia lags
* 400 children still die every day from preventable disease
* Experts say vaccination campaigns must be kept up
By Kate Kelland
LONDON, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Global deaths from measles fell by 78 percent between 2000 and 2008 thanks largely to mass childhood vaccination campaigns, but experts say death rates may rise again if complacency allows immunisation efforts to lag.
About 164,000 died from measles in 2008 down from 733,000 in 2000, according to the U.S.-based Measles Initiative, which groups several organisations including the United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation.
Vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles with large-scale immunisation programmes and increased routine vaccination coverage, has prevented an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths in less than a decade, the group said.
But it said southeast Asia, which it said includes India, Indonesia and Bangladesh, lagged behind the global trend, with measles deaths falling only 46 percent between 2000 and 2008.
"Three out of four children who died from measles in 2008 were in India," UNICEF's executive director Ann Veneman said in a statement. She added India's plan to scale up its measles vaccination campaign was "encouraging".
The Measles Initiative warned it faced a funding gap of $59 million for 2010 which could allow a resurgence in measles deaths. "The combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment could result in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths between 2010-13," it said.
Thomas Frieden, director of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that while global progress had been impressive, more than 400 children, mainly in poor nations, were dying every day from "completely preventable infection".
He warned measles could make a rapid comeback: "We saw this in the United States between 1989 and 1991, when an estimated 55 000 measles cases and more than 130 deaths occurred."
Parents' refusal to have their children vaccinated because of fears of links to autism caused a rise in measles cases in the United States and parts of Europe in recent years.
Many studies have debunked the notion vaccines can cause autism but data released in February for England and Wales showed a rise in measles cases of more than 70 percent in 2008 from the previous year, mostly due to unvaccinated children. [ID:nL5739347]
The Measles Initiative said all regions of the world except southeast Asia had hit the United Nations goal of reducing measles deaths by 90 percent from 2000 to 2010 two years ahead of target, but warned against complacency.
"This is a highly contagious disease that can quickly take advantage of any lapse in effort," said WHO director general Margaret Chan. (Editing by Matthew Jones) ((kate.kelland@thomsonreuters.com; +44 (0)207 542 0823))
