Global immunization efforts led to an 88% reduction in measles deaths between 2000 and 2024, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report. Nearly 59 million lives have been saved by the measles vaccine since 2000.
However, an estimated 95,000 people, mostly children under 5, died from measles in 2024. Although this is among the lowest annual rates recorded since 2000, any death from a disease that could be prevented with a highly effective and low-cost vaccine is unacceptable.
Despite fewer deaths, measles cases are increasing worldwide, with an estimated 11 million infections in 2024 – nearly 800,000 more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Measles is the world’s most contagious virus, and this data shows once again how any gap in our collective defenses against it will be exploited. Measles knows no borders, but when every child in every community is vaccinated against it, costly epidemics can be prevented, lives can be saved and this disease can be eradicated from entire nations.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
Measles cases in 2024 increased by 86% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, 47% in the Europe region and 42% in the South-East Asia region compared to 2019. In particular, the African region saw a 40% decrease in cases and a 50% decrease in deaths during this period, partly due to increasing vaccination coverage.
While recent increases in measles occur in countries and regions where children are less likely to die because of better nutrition and access to health care, those infected are at risk of serious, lifelong complications such as blindness, pneumonia and encephalitis (an infection that causes brain swelling and possible brain damage).
Vaccination coverage insufficient to protect all communities
In 2024, an estimated 84% of children received the first dose of measles vaccine and only 76% received the second, according to WHO/UNICEF estimates. This is a slight improvement on the previous year, with 2 million more children vaccinated. According to WHO guidelines, coverage of at least 95% with two doses of measles vaccine is required to stop transmission and protect communities from outbreaks.
More than 30 million children remained under-protected against measles in 2024. Three-quarters of them live in the African and Eastern Mediterranean regions, often in fragile, conflict-affected or vulnerable environments.
The Interim Review of the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), also released today, highlights that measles is often the first disease to re-emerge when vaccination coverage declines. Growing measles outbreaks expose the weaknesses of immunization programs and health systems worldwide and threaten progress towards IA2030 targets, including measles elimination.
The number of cases is increasing
In 2024, 59 countries reported large or troublesome measles outbreaks – nearly three times the number reported in 2021 and the highest since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. All regions except the Americas had at least one country experiencing a major outbreak in 2024. The situation changed in 2025 with many countries in the Americas battling outbreaks.
Efforts to scale up measles surveillance have improved the ability of WHO and countries to detect and respond to outbreaks, and in some countries to achieve eradication. In 2024, more than 760 laboratories participating in the Global Measles and Erythelas Laboratory Network (GMRLN) tested more than 500,000 samples, an increase of 27% from the previous year.
However, deep funding cuts affecting GMRLN and country vaccination programs are believed to widen immunity gaps and lead to further outbreaks next year. Securing sustainable domestic funding and new partners is now a critical challenge in advancing efforts towards a measles-free world.
Striving for a world without measles
The global elimination target, as set out in IA2030, remains a long way off. By the end of 2024, 81 countries (42%) had eliminated measles, only three more than before the pandemic.
Additional progress was made in 2025 with Pacific Island countries and territories verified in September 2025 and Cape Verde, Mauritius and Seychelles verified this month, becoming the first countries in the WHO African region to be verified for measles elimination. This brings the total number of countries that have eliminated measles to 96.
The Region of the Americas regained measles-free status in 2024 for the second time – the only region ever to be verified – but lost status again in November 2025 due to continued transmission in Canada.
Measles has made a resurgence in recent years, even in high-income countries that once eliminated it, because vaccination rates have fallen below the 95% mark. Even when overall coverage is high nationally, pockets of unvaccinated communities with lower coverage rates can leave people at risk and lead to outbreaks and ongoing transmission.
Achieving measles elimination requires strong political commitment and continued investment to ensure that all children receive two doses of the measles vaccine and that surveillance systems can rapidly detect cases. The IA2030 Interim Review calls on countries and partners to strengthen capacities for routine immunization, surveillance and rapid outbreak response, and to conduct high-quality, high-coverage campaigns when routine immunization is not yet sufficient to protect every child.
