| ■ Measles deaths plunge in Africa, WHO says | 2007.12.03 |
| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Measles deaths plunged by 91 percent in Africa between 2000 and 2006, thanks to a concerted effort to vaccinate children, the United Nations said on Thursday. Deaths from the once-common childhood disease fell from nearly 400,000 a year to 36,000 in 2006, the U.N.'s World Health Organization reported. "The spectacular gains achieved in Africa helped generate a strong decline in global measles deaths, which fell 68 percent worldwide, from an estimated 757,000 to 242,000 during this period," the U.N. and the American Red Cross said in a joint news release. "This is a major public health success and a tribute to the commitment of countries in the African region," WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said in a statement. |