The number of measles cases worldwide has increased by 300% over the year. In Africa - by 700%

Measles is transmitted by airborne droplets - a person can become infected by contact with a duration of

a few seconds with the sick. In order to prevent infection with this potentially fatal disease, only two vaccinations are sufficient. Complications of the disease include laryngitis, tracheobronchitis, otitis media, measles encephalitis, hepatitis, lymphadenitis, mesenterial lymphadenitis, and other diseases.

However, measles can be completely defeated only inif 95% of the world's population is vaccinated. In the past ten years, this figure did not exceed 85% due to the lack of funds for vaccines and the inaccessibility of medical care for residents of some developing countries.

However, problems exist not only in countriesOf Africa. According to WHO, in 2017, outbreaks of measles occurred in five of the six regions. Including in North and South America, Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

The report for the first quarter is not yet complete,but according to WHO estimates, only one in 10 cases of measles is officially reported. This suggests that real numbers are likely to be much higher. According to data collected from 170 countries, in 2011, 112,163 cases of measles were reported. At the same time, last year, WHO recorded 28,124 cases from 163 countries.

The largest increase in incidence is recorded inAfrican countries - there has increased by 700% compared with 2018. Official measles outbreaks are currently occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Sudan. More localized outbursts are also observed in countries with traditionally higher vaccination coverage, such as the United States and Israel.

In Russia at the beginning of 2019 also occurredoutbreaks of measles - in particular, they are recorded in Moscow, Dagestan and the Vladimir region. In March, the Ministry of Health reported 870 cases of measles since the beginning of 2019. During this period, 401 people fell ill in Moscow and the Moscow Region, 63 in the Vladimir region, 53 in Dagestan, 50 in Novosibirsk, 43 in the Ivanovo region and 23 in the Sverdlovsk region.

Earlier in the Philippines, an outbreak was recordedmeasles incidence - during January-February in the country 136 people died from this disease. Most of them are children from one to four years old, many of which have not been vaccinated.