Researchers have warned that childhood measles vaccination rates have declined globally since the COVID-19 pandemic, which may contribute to a resurgence of the highly contagious disease.

Disruptions to routine vaccine programmes and under-resourced health systems are driving the global decline, with estimated measles cases among children under five rising to 15.6 million worldwide in 2023.

According to a statement released on Thursday by Australia’s University of Queensland (UQ), this was a 40 per cent increase from 2019.

The study, published in Nature Medicine, examined measles cases, deaths and vaccination gaps among children under five across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2023.

Associate Professor Benn Sartorius from UQ’s Frazer Institute said the resurgence coincided with pandemic-related disruptions to immunisation programmes, health systems and funding.

Sartorius said the development had reversed decades of progress, with measles cases falling nearly 80 per cent worldwide between 1990 and 2019.

An estimated 23.7 million infants, or one in five worldwide, missed their first measles vaccine dose in 2023.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 50 per cent of the missed doses, followed by South Asia at 20 per cent, according to Sartorius.

He added that the study’s data could help authorities identify under-vaccinated populations to prevent future outbreaks.

(Xinhua/NAN)