Trend of Measles Outbreak in Yemen From January 2020 to August 2024

OBJECTIVE: The measles outbreak has recently recurred across the world despite the actions taken, and Yemen is among the worst-hit nations. There has been a lack of information regarding the status of the measles outbreak in Yemen. Therefore, this retrospective analysis aimed to determine the trend of the measles outbreak in Yemen from January 2020 to August 2024.

METHODS: This retrospective analysis relied on the secondary data recorded between January 2020 and August 2024. The Ministry of Health and Population provided the necessary data in a soft copy format (Excel file), which was statistically analyzed.

RESULTS:  A total of 41135 suspected measles cases were reported between January 2020 and August 2024. A higher proportion was observed among males (54.72%), age groups of 0-4 years (69.34%), in 2023 (50.5%), Aden governorate (20.54%), and in the spring (32.25%). The overall incidence rate was 18.82 per 10,000 population, with a higher rate among males (19.8 cases), age groups of 0-4 years (93.87 cases), in 2023 (9.5 cases), and Abyan governorate (89.06 cases). The overall fatality rate cases were 424 (4.92%), with the highest rate among females (1.06%), aged 0-4 years (1.26%), in 2023 (1.32%), and the Al Hudaydah governorate (2.97%). Furthermore, 82.4% of suspected cases were among unvaccinated individuals and 10.2% among individuals vaccinated with one dose.

CONCLUSION: According to current findings, the alarming rise in measles cases in recent years poses a serious threat to Yemenis' lives if not addressed. Therefore, vaccination efforts should be strengthened, healthcare infrastructure needs to be improved, vaccine hesitancy must be addressed, and international collaboration must be cultivated to control and eliminate measles.