UNICEF has Expressed Concern About the Epidemic of Measles Around the World

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the world's measles epidemic and indicated that in ten countries, including Brazil, Ukraine and France, nearly three quarters of the increased number of people in 2018 registered.

A total of 98 countries have reported more measles cases in 2018 than in 2017, a step backwards from what has been achieved so far in combating this preventable but potentially deadly disease, the UNICEF said in a statement. "This is a call for awakening: We have a safe, effective and inexpensive vaccine against a highly contagious disease - a vaccine that saves the lives of nearly one million people each year over the past two decades," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrieta For.

The largest increase in the number of patients in 2018 is in Ukraine, the Philippines and Brazil.

In 2018, 35,200 cases were reported in Ukraine, 30,000 more than in 2017. According to the government, 24,042 new people fell ill only in the first two months of 2019.

The World Health Organization has already raised concerns about the world's measles epidemic. According to her data, there is an increase of 50 percent in registered cases in 2018 compared to 2017 and deaths are 136,000.

The new outbreak of the disease that is more contagious than influenza or tuberculosis in some countries is somewhat due to the unjustified claims that the measles vaccine is associated with autism. These claims are spreading in social media from the so-called anti-vax movement.

The WHO has recently announced that "vaccination uncertainty" is one of the 10 greatest threats to human health in the world.

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