The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared Brazil free of measles, after no case of the disease was registered in the last year. In the coming months, the WHO will issue a certification for the eradication of measles to Brazil.
The eradication of measles is the conclusion of work spanning several years. Brazil saw no domestic cases of measles from 1985 to 2000, although it broke out in 2013 in the northeastern states of Pernambuco and Ceara.
- The WHO said it had worked alongside the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) to stamp out the disease, with a joint investment of 1.2 million reais ($335000) going towards measles control and the hiring of 165 dedicated nursing staff in Brazil.
- Measles can be transmitted orally, through mucus or saliva and mainly affects children. It can be spread rapidly through the air due to sneezing or a cough, and the first symptoms appear after 10 days with red spots on the skin.
While most patients recover within three weeks, it can cause pneumonia, blindness or even death in malnourished children.
- Global measles deaths have decreased by 79 per cent, according to WHO, from about 546,800 in 2000 to 114,900 in 2014.
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that is concerned with international public health. It was established on 7 April 1948, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Wikipedia
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
Founded: April 7, 1948
Head: Margaret Chan
