Yemen: Alarming surge in measles and rubella cases, reports WHO

UN news
Aug 31, 2023

Yemen: Alarming surge in measles and rubella cases, reports WHO


The UN World Health Organization (WHO) issued a stark warning on Thursday over rising cases of measles and rubella among children in Yemen, as a vaccination campaign there faces cutbacks due to insufficient funding.

As of July, there have been more than 34,000 suspected cases of measles and rubella reported, resulting in 413 deaths; a significant increase compared to the 27,000 cases and 220 associated deaths recorded during all of last year, reported the UN health agency.

Complicating matters further is limited funding for inoculation programmes, according to Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen.