Latest news with #HansKluge
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Tuberculosis cases are up among kids in Europe and Central Asia, health authorities warn
Cases of tuberculosis (TB), the world's deadliest infectious disease, are up nearly 10 per cent year-over-year among children in Europe and Central Asia, according to a new report from international health agencies. The data, which is from 2023, indicates that the European region is still grappling with the spillover effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe team. And it comes as health officials warn that cuts to global aid could lead to a resurgence of TB worldwide. In 2023, more than 172,000 people in the European region either got TB or had a relapse of the disease, similar to levels reported in 2022, the analysis shows. While TB deaths declined, they fell at a much slower rate than before the COVID-19 crisis. Related Global aid cuts are 'crippling' the fight against the world's deadliest infectious disease, WHO says That suggests many infected people went undiagnosed and untreated when the pandemic disrupted medical services, and that the consequences are now becoming apparent, the report said. The toll on children also appears to be growing, with about 7,500 TB cases among kids under age 15 in the European region in 2023 – a 9.6 per cent increase from the year before, the report found. More than 2,400 of these cases were reported among children under 5, who are at higher risk of serious illness and death. 'The current TB burden and the worrying rise in children with TB serves as a reminder that progress against this preventable and curable disease remains fragile," Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO Europe director, said in a statement. The findings indicate that TB is continuing to spread across Europe and that 'immediate' public health efforts should be put in place to get the disease in check, the report said. TB is caused by a bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs but can also spread to other organs. Most people who are infected do not go on to develop the disease, but if they do, it can be dangerous, killing about 1.25 million people per year. It also coincides with other critical health problems. In the European region, 15.4 per cent of people with new or reactivated TB also have HIV, which can progress to AIDS if left untreated, the report said. Related Public programme to give poor people cash reduced tuberculosis cases and deaths, study finds TB primarily affects people living in poverty. It can be difficult to manage for a host of reasons, including delays in getting a diagnosis, whether patients take their medication on time, and a lack of access to the right treatments. Patients must take TB medication daily for up to six months in order for it to be effective. Stopping treatment early can allow the bacteria to become resistant to drugs, making the disease harder to treat and allowing infections to spread. First-line drugs worked for 75.5 per cent of patients in the European region, the analysis shows. For those with multi-drug resistant TB, medicines eventually worked for 59.7 per cent. Looking only at the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, health authorities said they do not know whether one in five children with TB actually completed treatment. Related Antibiotic-resistant superbugs could kill 39 million people by 2050, researchers warn 'With the rise of drug-resistant TB, the cost of inaction today will be paid by us all tomorrow,' ECDC director Dr Pamela Rendi-Wagner said in a statement. Last week, the WHO warned that cuts to global aid are already undermining progress to eliminate the disease in 27 countries, mostly in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Western Pacific. In nine countries, people are struggling to get TB medicine. But Kluge said that TB programmes in Europe and Central Asia could also be affected by the cuts. Across the region, Russia had the most cases in 2023, followed by Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Romania. The cuts mean 'TB transmission may go unnoticed, further fuelling the rise in hard-to-treat strains,' Kluge said.
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Measles is back': cases in the EU have jumped by a factor of ten
Cases of measles increased by 10-fold in the European Union last year, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has said. In 2024, 32,265 cases of the Victorian-era disease were recorded in the EU – compared to just 3,973 in 2023. About 60 per cent of those infected were hospitalised. The UK also reported a surge in cases last year at 2,900, an eight-fold increase compared to 2023. The spike has been felt around the world. In the World Health Organization's European Region – which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – cases doubled in 2024 and reached their highest levels on record since 1997. In 2024, there were 127,350 reported cases across the region – nearly all of which were in the unvaccinated. At least 38 people died, mostly children under five who are more vulnerable to the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and a phenomenon known as 'immune amnesia' – whereby a person's immune system loses the ability to fight off common infections. The highest number of cases in the WHO's Europe region were recorded in Romania, at 30,692, followed by Russia and Kazakhstan. The sharp increase has been blamed largely on disruptions in routine vaccination programmes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, 1.8 million infants in Europe missed their measles vaccine, which is given in two doses – at 12 months and three years. The backlog has yet to be cleared, with half a million children in Europe missing their first dose in 2023 alone. Disinformation spread through social media – including the discredited claim by former doctor Andrew Wakefield that the MMR vaccine causes autism – has also majorly contributed to widespread vaccine hesitancy, which has picked up speed again since the pandemic. The global vaccination coverage for the disease now stands at just 83 per cent, which falls significantly short of the 95 per cent needed to eradicate measles. 'Measles is back, and its a wake-up call,' Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said in a statement. 'Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.' The Victorian-era disease has also made a major comeback in the US this year, which recorded its first measles death, in an unvaccinated child, in over a decade last month. So far in 2025, the country has recorded more than 250 cases across several states – exceeding the entire total for 2024. The majority of cases have been reported in rural Texas, where vaccine scepticism is particularly high. It comes as the new health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Junior, has promoted the false theory that childhood vaccinations are linked to autism, and promoted alternative treatments – like cod liver oil – as 'miraculous' remedies to treat the disease. In Afghanistan, where only 43 per cent of children have both measles vaccines, there has also been an 'alarming surge' in cases this year, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates three hospitals in the country. In the first eight weeks of 2025, MSF recorded one child dying every day from measles complications – a three-fold increase from the same period in 2024. The Taliban-run Ministry of Health said the report was inaccurate. Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
17-03-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘Measles is back': cases in the EU have jumped by a factor of ten
Cases of measles increased by 10-fold in the European Union last year, the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) has said. In 2024, 32,265 cases of the Victorian-era disease were recorded in the EU – compared to just 3,973 in 2023. About 60 per cent of those infected were hospitalised. The UK also reported a surge in cases last year at 2,900, an eight-fold increase compared to 2023. The spike has been felt around the world. In the World Health Organization's European Region – which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia – cases doubled in 2024 and reached their highest levels on record since 1997. In 2024, there were 127,350 reported cases across the region – nearly all of which were in the unvaccinated. At least 38 people died, mostly children under five who are more vulnerable to the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth, and can lead to serious complications like pneumonia, brain swelling, blindness, and a phenomenon known as 'immune amnesia' – whereby a person's immune system loses the ability to fight off common infections. The highest number of cases in the WHO's Europe region were recorded in Romania, at 30,692, followed by Russia and Kazakhstan. The sharp increase has been blamed largely on disruptions in routine vaccination programmes caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which have yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels. In 2020, 1.8 million infants in Europe missed their measles vaccine, which is given in two doses – at 12 months and three years. The backlog has yet to be cleared, with half a million children in Europe missing their first dose in 2023 alone. Disinformation spread through social media – including the discredited claim by former doctor Andrew Wakefield that the MMR vaccine causes autism – has also majorly contributed to widespread vaccine hesitancy, which has picked up speed again since the pandemic. The global vaccination coverage for the disease now stands at just 83 per cent, which falls significantly short of the 95 per cent needed to eradicate measles. 'Measles is back, and its a wake-up call,' Hans Kluge, WHO director for Europe, said in a statement. 'Without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.' The Victorian-era disease has also made a major comeback in the US this year, which recorded its first measles death, in an unvaccinated child, in over a decade last month. So far in 2025, the country has recorded more than 250 cases across several states – exceeding the entire total for 2024. The majority of cases have been reported in rural Texas, where vaccine scepticism is particularly high. It comes as the new health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Junior, has promoted the false theory that childhood vaccinations are linked to autism, and promoted alternative treatments – like cod liver oil – as 'miraculous' remedies to treat the disease. In Afghanistan, where only 43 per cent of children have both measles vaccines, there has also been an 'alarming surge' in cases this year, according to the medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières, which operates three hospitals in the country. In the first eight weeks of 2025, MSF recorded one child dying every day from measles complications – a three-fold increase from the same period in 2024. The Taliban-run Ministry of Health said the report was inaccurate.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
As Texas measles outbreak grows, U.S. cases quickly surpass total for all of 2024
Less than three months into 2025, measles cases in the United States have already surpassed last year's total as the outbreak in West Texas continues to spread. As of Friday, 320 cases had been reported across 16 states, according to NBC News' tally of state health department data. That's compared to 285 cases confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year, which was the highest total since 2019. The vast majority of this year's cases, 259, have been in Texas, with another 35 reported in bordering New Mexico. All but four of those cases across the two states were in unvaccinated people or those with an unknown vaccination status. An unvaccinated, school-aged child in Texas died of measles last month, and an unvaccinated adult who died in New Mexico also tested positive, but the cause of death is still under investigation. Prior to those deaths, the U.S. had not seen a measles fatality in a decade, and a child had not died of measles since 2003. Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning it is not continuously spreading, though there are occasional outbreaks. But the country came close to losing that status in 2019, when 1,274 cases were recorded, most of which were associated with outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. With cases now climbing in Texas and other states, public health experts worry about a renewed threat to elimination. A global uptick in measles cases has also created more opportunities for the virus to spread in the U.S. Last year, European and Central Asian countries reported more than 127,000 measles cases, the United Nations and World Health Organization announced Thursday. That's the highest since 1997, and double the number in 2023. Worldwide, measles cases rose 20% from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC. The WHO and U.N. attributed the increase in Europe and Central Asia to 'a backsliding in immunization coverage' during the pandemic, noting that vaccination rates haven't fully rebounded in many countries. "Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call," Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe, said in a statement Thursday, adding that "every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities." Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world: An infected person can spread it to up to 9 out of 10 people around them if those people aren't vaccinated. Measles can also linger in the air for up to two hours. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, however, are 97% effective. While the majority of measles cases in the U.S. are introduced from other countries, declining vaccination rates have fueled the virus' spread locally. Health guidelines suggest a community should have a vaccination rate of at least 95% to avoid outbreaks, but by the 2023-24 school year, less than 93% of U.S. kindergartners had received the recommended two doses. The Texas outbreak originated in Gaines County, which has an 82% kindergarten vaccination rate for measles. Vaccine hesitancy is especially prevalent among the Mennonite population in Seminole, where the outbreak's epicenter is. Most of New Mexico's cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County. Texas and New Mexico health officials have urged unvaccinated residents to get their shots. Although the first dose is recommended at around age 1, the CDC has said infants as young as 6 months who live in areas with an outbreak can receive an early dose. Measles is particularly dangerous for children under age 5. According to the CDC, roughly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications. This article was originally published on
NBC News
14-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
As Texas measles outbreak grows, U.S. cases quickly surpass total for all of 2024
Less than three months into 2025, measles cases in the United States have already surpassed last year's total as the outbreak in West Texas continues to spread. As of Friday, 320 cases had been reported across 16 states, according to NBC News' tally of state health department data. That's compared to 285 cases confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last year, which was the highest total since 2019. The vast majority of this year's cases, 259, have been in Texas, with another 35 reported in bordering New Mexico. All but four of those cases across the two states were in unvaccinated people or those with an unknown vaccination status. An unvaccinated, school-aged child in Texas died of measles last month, and an unvaccinated adult who died in New Mexico also tested positive, but the cause of death is still under investigation. Prior to those deaths, the U.S. had not seen a measles fatality in a decade, and a child had not died of measles since 2003. Measles has been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000, meaning it is not continuously spreading, though there are occasional outbreaks. But the country came close to losing that status in 2019, when 1,274 cases were recorded, most of which were associated with outbreaks in Orthodox Jewish communities in New York. worry about a renewed threat to elimination. A global uptick in measles cases has also created more opportunities for the virus to spread in the U.S. Last year, European and Central Asian countries reported more than 127,000 measles cases, the United Nations and World Health Organization announced Thursday. That's the highest since 1997, and double the number in 2023. Worldwide, measles cases rose 20% from 2022 to 2023, according to the latest available data from the CDC. The WHO and U.N. attributed the increase in Europe and Central Asia to 'a backsliding in immunization coverage' during the pandemic, noting that vaccination rates haven't fully rebounded in many countries. "Measles is back, and it's a wake-up call," Dr. Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe, said in a statement Thursday, adding that "every country must step up efforts to reach under-vaccinated communities." Measles is one of the most contagious viruses in the world: An infected person can spread it to up to 9 out of 10 people around them if those people aren't vaccinated. Measles can also linger in the air for up to two hours. Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, however, are 97% effective. While the majority of measles cases in the U.S. are introduced from other countries, declining vaccination rates have fueled the virus' spread locally. Health guidelines suggest a community should have a vaccination rate of at least 95% to avoid outbreaks, but by the 2023-24 school year, less than 93% of U.S. kindergartners had received the recommended two doses. The Texas outbreak originated in Gaines County, which has an 82% kindergarten vaccination rate for measles. Vaccine hesitancy is especially prevalent among the Mennonite population in Seminole, where the outbreak's epicenter is. Most of New Mexico's cases are in Lea County, which borders Gaines County. Texas and New Mexico health officials have urged unvaccinated residents to get their shots. Although the first dose is recommended at around age 1, the CDC has said infants as young as 6 months who live in areas with an outbreak can receive an early dose. Measles is particularly dangerous for children under age 5. According to the CDC, roughly 1 to 3 out of every 1,000 children with measles die from respiratory and neurological complications.
