Europe detects 400% increase in fruit cases in 2017

Fruit is back in the European region of the World Health Organization. The disease has affected 21.315 people and caused 35 deaths in 2017, after a record low of 5273 cases in 2016.

The WTO Europe Regional Office has released new data for 2017, a day before the ministerial meeting for vaccines in Montenegro is held on 20 February.

Each new person, affected by measles in Europe, reminds us that unexplored children and adults, regardless of where they live, remain in risk to be affected by the disease and spread to others, who may not have been able to vaccinate. Over 20,000 cases of people affected by measles and 35 lives lost in 2017 alone are a tragedy we simply cannot accept,” says Dr Zuzsusanna Jakab, director of the OBS regional office for Europe.

“Elimination of measles and rubella is a priority target for which all European states have strongly pledged, and is also the basis for achieving sustainable health developmental criteria,” continues Dr Jakab. This short-term delay cannot prevent us from trying to be the generation that frees our children from these diseases once and for all.”

Great outbreaks of fruit disease affect 1 in 4 European states

According to a communique of the World Health Organization office in Pristina, the huge wave of measles in 2017 has involved 100 or more major explosions in 15 of the 53 countries in the region.

The highest numbers of affected people are reported in Romania (5562), Italy (5006) and Ukraine (4767). These countries have experienced a number of challenges in recent years, such as the decline in routine coverage of vaccines, consistent low coverage for several marginalised groups, stops in supply of vaccines or non-forming disease monitoring systems. Greece (967), Germany (927), Serbia (702), Tarikistian (649), France (520), the Russian Federation (408), Belgium (369), United Kingdom (282), Bulgaria (167), Spain (152), Czech Republic (146) and Switzerland (105) have also experienced major outbreaks of disease, most of which were on the decline at the end of 2017. Actions to halt current injuries and prevent new explosions are being taken at different fronts. They are awareness of the public, vaccination of health care professionals and increasing others in risk, addressing the challenges of access and improving supply and logistics planning. The process of verifying the elimination of measles and rubella on the part of the state, presented in 2012 as a measure, has made the delivery of countries in the region towards the common target of the elimination of measles and rubella. Each year, the Regional Commission for Verification (KRV) reviews the country's data and vaccination activities and recommends actions that must be taken to select the specific challenges that states face. Since the end of 2016, 42 out of 53 countries in Rion have interrupted the transmission of the wandering measles. However, the outbreaks of the disease will continue to appear until every child and vulnerable adult” is said in the communique.

The ministers of the 11 states will meet on September 20th 2018 to discuss co-operation in achieving the set limits in the European Action Plan for Vacination (PVEV) by 2020, including the elimination of measles and rubella. The medium-term regional progress report of PVEV will be presented at the 68th session of the OBS Regional Committee for Europe in September 2018.