Measles remains a leading cause of death among young children, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for the past 40 years. An estimated 345 000 people, the majority of them children, died from measles in 2005 (the latest year for which figures are available).

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known. Almost all non-immune children contract measles if exposed to the virus. Measles is an acute viral illness caused by a virus in the paramyxovirus family. As a respiratory disease, measles virus normally grows in the cells that line the back of the throat and in the cells that line the lungs. Measles is a human disease with no known animal reservoir.

Vaccination has had a major impact on measles deaths. From 2000 to 2005, more than 360 million children globally received measles vaccine through supplementary immunization activities. Moreover, improvements have been made in routine immunization over this period. These accelerated activities have resulted in a significant reduction in estimated global measles deaths. Overall, global measles mortality decreased by 60% between 1999 and 2005. The largest gains occurred in Africa where measles cases and deaths decreased by nearly 75%.

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