KATHMANDU: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated that the global measles death dropped by 78 per cent within a decade. Despite the achievement, as many as 450 deaths are recorded daily globally.

A press statement by WHO mentioned that vaccinating nearly 700 million children against measles, through large-scale immunisation campaigns and increased routine immunisation coverage, has prevented an estimated 4.3 million measles deaths in less than a decade.

The measles deaths worldwide fell by 78 per cent between 2000 and 2008, from an estimated 733,000 in 2000 to 164,000 in 2008. However, global immunisation experts warned of resurgence in measles deaths if vaccination efforts are not sustained, stated the statement published by WHO recently. It further mentioned that all regions, except one, have achieved the United Nations goal of reducing measles mortality by 90 per cent between 2000 and 2010.

Measles is among the world's most contagious diseases and one of the leading causes of death among children worldwide. Even healthy and well-nourished children, if unvaccinated, are at risk of the disease and its severe health complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis.

South East Asia is one of the regions that may not achieve the goal in the countries like India, Indonesia and Bangladesh -- where measles deaths declined only 46 per cent between 2000 and 2008. In India, three out of four children deaths were attributed to measles in 2008.

WHO stated, for the elimination of the disease, countries must continue follow-up vaccination campaigns every two to four years until their healthcare systems can provide two doses of measles vaccination to all children and treatment for the disease.

It was further stated that the Measles Initiative is tackling a funding gap of $59 million for 2010 and warned that if unaddressed, the resource gap could allow for a resurgence of measles deaths. Meanwhile, immunisation experts fear that combined effect of decreased political and financial commitment could result in an estimated 1.7 million measles-related deaths between 2010-13, with more than half a million deaths in 2013 alone, compared to 164,000 in 2008.