Global battle against measles 'to succeed'

The global battle to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children hit by measles is set to succeed, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF said today.

An international vaccination programme launched in 2001 has slashed by almost one third the number of fatalities from the easily preventable disease, the UN agencies said in Geneva.

“This progress demonstrates that collectively countries can achieve the United Nations goal of cutting global measles deaths in half by the end of 2005,” said a joint statement.

In 1999, the disease killed 869,000 people, mostly children. In 2002, global measles deaths stood at 610,000.

Some 45 nations – 33 in Africa, most of the rest in Asia – account for 95% of cases.

WHO officials said figures for 2003 are not yet available but that the decline is expected to continue.

“This is great news. Countries are to be commended for their efforts to fight measles. Efforts that are truly paying off,” said UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy. ”But we have to keep up the work and the funding as still far too many children’s lives are lost to measles.”

Measles, a viral disease, is spread by infected droplets produced by sneezing and coughing. It causes fever and rash and is sometimes complicated by ear infections, pneumonia or inflammation of the brain, which can result in convulsions, deafness, mental retardation or death.

WHO recommends immunisation of all children before they reach nine months.