Measles Deaths Decrease 88% Since 2000

According to a recent report published by the World Health Organization (WHO), nearly 59 million lives have been saved by the measles vaccine since the year 2000.

Notably, the African Region saw a 50% decline in deaths during this period, due in part to improved immunization coverage.

And in Europe, during the last 12-month period, eight deaths attributable to measles were reported by Romania (five), France (two), and the Netherlands (one).

While these totals are among the lowest recorded since 2000, measles remains a health threat to millions of people in 2025, especially children, says the WHO.

"Measles is the world's most contagious virus, and these data demonstrate how it will exploit any gaps in our collective defenses," said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, in a press release on November 28, 2025.

"Measles does not recognize borders, but when every child in every community is vaccinated, costly outbreaks can be prevented, lives can be saved, and this disease can be eliminated from entire nations."

Despite the decline in deaths, measles cases are surging worldwide, with an estimated 11 million infections reported in 2024—nearly 800,000 more than pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

In 2024, measles cases increased by 86% in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, 47% in the European Region, and 42% in the South-East Asian Region compared to 2019.

And in the Region of the Americas, record-setting measles outbreaks have been confirmed in Canada and Mexico during 2025. There were 465 confirmed cases of measles in 2024 and 12,318 cases by the end of October 2025 in the Americas.

Recent surges in measles cases are occurring in countries and regions where children are less likely to die due to better nutrition and access to healthcare, such as in the United States.

As an example, the U.S. CDC recently confirmed 1,798 measles cases in 2025, but only three related deaths. 

The WHO's measles elimination goal remains distant. By the end of 2024, 81 countries (42%) had eliminated measles.

However, progress has been made in 2025 with Pacific island countries and areas verified in September 2025, and Cabo Verde, Mauritius, and Seychelles recently became 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, reports the WHO. This achievement indicates fewer measles cases and related deaths could be expected in the future.