The universe of measles in a single public and accessible database to understand the global epidemiological trend and the strategies implemented by countries. This is the work carried out by the epidemiologist Massimo Ciccozzi, head of the Medical Statistics and Epidemiology unit of the Bio-Medico Campus of Rome, with Fabio Scarpa of the University of Sassari and Marta Giovannetti of the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz of Minas Gerais (Brazil). The work was presented in 'Infectious Disease Report'.
“Our team has developed a 24-hour open access database for the global monitoring of measles, facilitating the collection and standardized analysis of data – Ciccozzi tells Adnkronos Salute – The analysis of measles cases from 2011 to 2023 reveals fluctuating trends, with notable increases in Africa in 2019 and 2023, indicating potential gaps in control strategies.Using an automated signal detection tool developed by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) team, We identified 28 significant variations between World Health Organization (WHO) regions, underlining the importance of continuous monitoring to detect epidemiological changes early. These findings – he adds – highlight the need for robust surveillance systems and accelerated prevention efforts. vaccination to safeguard public health”.
“This database not only makes data easily accessible to researchers and healthcare professionals, but also supports the analysis and monitoring of global measles trends. It adheres to the ECDC model – continues Ciccozzi – for the use of its automatic signal detection, facilitating early identification of abnormalities or concerns in the spread of measles and enabling timely preventive and control measures in response to changes in the incidence rate.”
“Vaccination coverage and trends in the various WHO regions present different scenarios. The downward trend in Africa is worrying, indicating a regression of vaccination programs and an increasing vulnerability to epidemics. Although the age coverage rates in the WHO region Eastern Mediterranean are higher, the decrease in coverage of the second dose of measles vaccine over the years highlights the need for further efforts to ensure the uptake of vaccination programmes”, he concludes.
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