News

The number of measles-related deaths has decreased 79 percent from 546,800 at the beginning of the century to 114,900 in 2014. New data released by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Measles & Rubella Initiative, estimates that 17.1 million lives have been saved since 2000, largely due to increased vaccination coverage against this highly contagious viral disease. Measles vaccination has played a key role in reducing child mortality and in progress toward Millennium Development Goal 4.