Why are global cases of measles rising?

The Inquiry

• Episode: Why are global cases of measles rising?
• Website: The Inquiry
• Feed URL: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p029399x/episodes/downloads.rss
• Duration: 00:23:01
• Published: 2025-05-13 17:45

“Measles is back, and it’s a wake-up call,” proclaimed one regional director from the World Health Organisation who went on to add, “without high vaccination rates, there is no health security.”

Measles is a childhood disease which can be deadly. We’ve been successfully vaccinating against it for decades. So much so that many younger physicians have never seen a child with the disease. But recently, the recorded number of cases has been rising - and this is a global trend.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses known to man. In an unvaccinated population it will spread like wildfire. So what’s behind the rapid rise of measles cases around the world? According to one of our expert witnesses it comes down to three Cs: complacency, convenience and confidence.

In this edition of the Inquiry, Sandra Kanthal looks into what’s causing the rise in measles cases around the world and asks how this trend can be reversed.

Contributors:

Doctor Claudia Cojocaru – Romanian physician and neonatologist

Robb Butler - Director of the Division of Communicable Diseases, Environment and Health: World Health Organisation

Dr Benjamin Kasstan-Dabush -Assistant Professor, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Fatima Cengic, Regional Immunization Specialist, Europe and Central Asia: UNICEF

Presenter: Sandra Kanthal Production: Katie Morgan Production Management Assistant: Liam Morrey Technical Producer: James Beard Editor: Tara McDermott