Measles

20.11.2023

Measles , Daily Current Affairs , RACE IAS : Best IAS Coaching in Lucknow   

Why in the news?

As per recent reports there was a  43% increase in measles deaths from 2021-2022.

Key Points

• The number of measles deaths worldwide increased by 43 per cent from 2021-2022, following years of falling vaccination rates, according to a new assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

About Measles:-

• It is a highly contagious, serious airborne disease caused by a virus that can lead to severe complications and death.
• It is caused by a virus found in the nose and throat of an infected child or adult.
• It spreads easily when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes.
• It can cause severe disease, complications, and even death.
• It can affect anyone but is most common in children.
• It infects the respiratory tract and then spreads throughout the body.
• Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash all over the body.
• Measles vaccination averted 56 million deaths between 2000 and 2021.
• Even though a safe and cost-effective vaccine is available, in 2021, there were an estimated 128,000 measles deaths globally, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children under the age of 5 years.
• In 2022, about 83% of the world’s children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services – the lowest since 2008.

Risk factors:-

• Being unvaccinated.
• Traveling internationally.
• Having a vitamin A deficiency.

                                                                     Source:Down to earth