Measles continues to pose a significant obstacle to Yemen's health system, as the number of cases continues to rise annually in the absence of effective epidemic surveillance and control strategies, according to a recent study published by Tropical Medicine and Health
Saddah District recorded the highest rate of measles incidence with 44.7 cases per 10,000 population, followed by 3,898 suspected measles cases recorded in Ibb and Dhamar gvernorates over the four-year period from 2020 to 2023 .
Of the 3,898 suspected measles cases recorded in Ibb, 2,370 (60.8%) were found to be unvaccinated, while 360 (9.2%), 773 (19.8%), and 395 (10.1%), respectively, were found to be among those who had received one dose, two doses, and three or more doses of the vaccine
Desma Maina, country director for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Yemen said :"Yemen has recently witnessed a worrying increase in measles cases,” . She added: “This comes amid escalating needs for healthcare and citizens facing difficulties in accessing it – more than 10 years of war and instability have led to the deterioration of health services in the country. With the recent decrease in humanitarian support and international funding for the healthcare system in Yemen, we feel deep concern as we witness communities’ growing medical needs."
Males were more prevalent than females (53.2% versus 46.8%). By age, nearly two-thirds of cases were recorded among those aged 0–4 years (65.5%), more than a quarter were recorded among the 5–9 age group, and the lowest number of cases were recorded among the 15 age group (2.2%).
Moreover, the majority of measles cases also had fever (99.7%), cough (83.9%), and rhinorrhea (70.9%), with a significant difference (P = 0.000). Furthermore, more than half of measles cases had conjunctivitis (64.1%), and less than a quarter of cases had lymphadenitis (24.2%).