19:01 29.08.2018

Ukraine accounts for more than half of measles cases in European region in H1

2 min read
Ukraine accounts for more than half of measles cases in European region in H1

The number of cases of measles in the European region during January-June of 2018 was 41,000, with more than half of them – 56% – occurring in Ukraine, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

"Ukraine has been the hardest hit, with over 23,000 people affected; this accounts for over half of the regional total," the report says.

Not counting Ukraine, countries of the European region where the number of people infected during the reporting period that exceeded 1,000 people included Serbia (4,954), France (2,579), Georgia (2,130), Italy (2,020), Russia (1,396) and Greece (1,128). The total is 4,207 people, or 34.65% of the total number of cases in the European region. In all the countries listed above, deaths related to measles incidence were documented.

According to the monthly reports of EU countries, at least 37 people have already died of measles this year, 14 of them in Serbia, and 13 in Ukraine.

In addition, according to WHO, the total number of people infected in the European region during the reporting period exceeds the aggregate figures for 12 months of each previous year over the past decade. In the period from 2010 to 2017, the highest total annual number of cases of measles was registered in 2017 – 23,927 cases, and the lowest in 2016 – 5,273 cases.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe covers 53 member states. No cases of morbidity was registered in eight over them during the reporting period - Tajikistan, San Marino, Malta, Lithuania, Iceland, Azerbaijan, Andorra, as well as Monaco and Albania, excluding data for one month from the reporting period.

WHO has stressed the need to increase vaccination coverage.

"To prevent outbreaks, at least 95% immunization coverage with 2 doses of measles-containing vaccine is needed every year in every community, as well as efforts to reach children, adolescents and adults who missed routine vaccination in the past," WHO said.

According to the Public Health Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the number of registered measles cases in Ukraine was 29,953 as of August 28, 2018.

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