Fewest Cases Of Death From Measles Recorded In 2017

A very heart-warming news came out this year from the camp of the World Health Organization (WHO) that the significant progress made on eradicating measles has yielded a historical result because for the first time since the   deadly disease was discovered centuries ago, the number of recorded deaths worldwide in 2017 is approximately 97,000 around the globe, making it the smallest record so far. This is a sharp contrast to the yearly 2.9 million deaths that were common during the 1980s.

A doctor vaccinates a child in a U.S. clinic

In the early 2000s, the device used for the aggressive assault on the deadly disease commonly found in poorly fed children was the use of vaccines that were donated by health organizations all over the world. The success of combating measles has been attributed to this vaccine. During this eradication period, the number of deaths by approximation reduced to 89,780 last year, even though these statistics came to the open in October this year.

Historically, it’s been over six decades ago since the invention of measles vaccines came to life. An organization called Gavi, based in Geneva partnered with WHO to carry out the project. This organization was the force behind the largest contribution of the anti-measles vaccines through its affiliation. The organization reported that over 6.7 billion pieces of vaccines had been donated in the past 16 years. Apart from the WHO, Gavi also collaborated with other notable institutions such as American Red Cross, the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Commenting on this development is Dr. Seth Berkley, CEO and chief coordinator at Gavi. He expressed pessimism on the large geographical area the campaign is yet to reach, despite the remarkable success of the project. “Even some parts of the developed countries are not spared from the problem,” Dr. Seth said. He was worried that if something drastic is not done on time, the efforts will soon be in vain.

He noted that measles is a communicable disease that spreads fast among children and in their gatherings, like the open play field or even within school premises. He, however, recommended that the vaccination should be elevated to about 90% because that is the best way to curb the epidemic.

Medical reports revealed that in Romania, over 36 children lost their lives to measles in 2017. Also, there has been a red alert from the C.D.C since October. The red alert passed a message on Watch Level 1 travel alerts which warned travelers to always take vaccines before embarking on their trips. C.D.C gave the situation report that the epidemic has affected countries like Ukraine, Romania, Democratic Republic of Congo, England, Italy, Greece, and Indonesia.

Disneyland was not left out of the measle attack. The fun park was affected between 2014 to 2015, and this compelled the Californian government to enforce stringent health precautions which ensured that parents give vaccination to their children. As a result, toddlers and small children in Southern California now have about 95% growth rates of vaccines.

Measle vaccines have effectively been given to children all over the globe

Now, some of the developing countries that were among the set of participants to dole out vaccines during the intensive awareness and the assistance of contributors are currently purchasing it as children’s immunization formula.

However, recorded loss of life among children in developed countries is at its barest minimum, barely one severe case that leads to death in every 5,000.

W.H.O has exposed six developing countries where more than 50% population of children who have not been vaccinated reside. They are Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Congo, and India. According to the statistics released by the organization, over 7% of poorly fed children all over the developing countries have died due to the deadly disease, and about 30 percent victims in different refugee camps also lost their lives in the epidemic.

Measles comes with many serious symptoms and additional health problems. These symptoms include ear problems and possibly total loss of hearing for one child in every 16 samples. One other sign is encephalitis. This is a very dangerous disease that can lead to pneumonia, that is commonly found in one victim out of 16 children, and brain damage which is common in one out of 1,500 measles cases. Also, pregnant women who are not vaccinated are at high risk losing their unborn children if they contract the virus, which has the power to destroy the fetus.