WHO urges South-East Asian countries to take urgent and accelerated measures against measles

World Health Organization (WHO) has urged all nations in South-East Asia to take urgent and accelerated measures against measles. The disease is on the rise with nearly nine million children having missed vaccination against it in the past two years. In a press release, the Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh said that there is urgent need to stop and prevent measles outbreaks and accelerate efforts to eliminate the disease.

According to the press release issued by WHO, measles vaccination coverage has reached an all-time high of 94 per cent coverage for the first dose and 83 per cent coverage for the second dose by 2019. It had reduced to 86 per cent and 76 per cent respectively in 2021, leaving nine million children unvaccinated for measles and around 5.3 million children partially vaccinated against the disease.