Measles jab saves 20 million young lives
Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Measles jab saves more than 20 million young lives in 15 years, but hundreds of children still die of the disease every day, United Nations health agencies report has revealed.
According to the report, despite a 79 per cent worldwide decrease in measles deaths between 2000 and 2015, nearly 400 children still die from the disease every day.
“Making measles history is not mission impossible,” said Robin Nandy, UNICEF Immunisation Chief.
“We have the tools and the knowledge to do it; what we lack is the political will to reach every single child, no matter how far. Without this commitment, children will continue to die from a disease that is easy and cheap to prevent,” he said.
Mass measles vaccination campaigns and a global increase in routine measles vaccination coverage saved an estimated 20.3 million young lives from 2000 to 2015, according to UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Source: Ghana Business News (link opens in a new window)
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