GENEVA 

Measles cases surged 20% worldwide, infecting 10.3 million people in 2023, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

In joint estimates with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the WHO said Thursday in a statement that inadequate immunization coverage globally is driving the surge in cases.

Noting that measles is preventable with two doses of vaccine, the UN agency lamented that more than 22 million children missed their first dose of measles vaccine in 2023.

Globally, an estimated 83% of children received their first dose of measles vaccine last year, while only 74% received the recommended second dose, it added.

To prevent outbreaks and protect populations from one of the world’s most contagious human viruses, the WHO said coverage of 95% or greater of two doses of measles vaccine is needed in each country and community.

"Measles vaccine has saved more lives than any other vaccine in the past 50 years," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "To save even more lives and stop this deadly virus from harming the most vulnerable, we must invest in immunization for every person, no matter where they live."

CDC Director Mandy Cohen, for her part, urged the continuation of investment in efforts to increase access to the vaccine.

As a result of global gaps in vaccination coverage, 57 countries experienced large or disruptive measles outbreaks in 2023, affecting all regions except the Americas, and representing a nearly 60% increase from 36 countries in the previous year, according to the WHO.

The agency's new data showed that an estimated 107,500 people, mostly children younger than five years, died due to measles in 2023 -- showing a slight reduction of 8% compared to the previous year.

This slight reduction in deaths was mainly because the surge in cases occurred in countries and regions where children with measles are less likely to die due to better nutritional status and access to health services.