<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”> </p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Syllabus Section</span></span></span></b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>- Social Issues(health) and Current events</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Context</span></span></span></b> </span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>A total of 1.2 million children did not receive the first dose of measles-containing-vaccine (MCV1) in 2019 in India, accounting for nearly half of the world’s total along with the remaining five countries.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>India was among six countries with the highest number of infants who had not received the vaccine against measles — while the contagious viral disease surged worldwide in 2019 reaching the highest number of reported cases in 23 years — last year, according to a new report of the World Health Organisation and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Report Findings</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>• A total of 1.2 million children did not receive the first dose of measles-containing-vaccine (MCV1) in 2019 in India, accounting for nearly half of the world’s total along with the remaining five countries — Nigeria (3.3 million), Ethiopia (1.5 million), Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1.4 million), Pakistan (1.4 million), and Philippines (0.7 million).</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>• The report, titled ‘Progress Towards Regional Measles Elimination Worldwide 2000-2019’, states that cases across the world increased to 8,69,770 in 2019, the highest number reported since 1996 with a rise in all WHO regions. Global measles deaths climbed nearly 50 per cent since 2016, claiming an estimated 2,07,500 lives in 2019 alone, it said.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>• Comparing 2019 data with the historic low in reported measles cases in 2016, authors of the report cite a failure to vaccinate children on time with two doses of MCV1 and MCV2 as the main driver of these increases in cases and deaths.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>• To control measles and prevent outbreaks and deaths, vaccination coverage rates with the required MCV1 and MCV2 must reach 95 per cent and be maintained at national and subnational levels.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>• MCV1 coverage has been stagnant globally for over a decade at between 84 and 85 per cent. MCV2 coverage has been steadily increasing but is at 71 per cent now. Vaccination coverage against measles remains well below the 95 per cent or higher needed with both doses to control measles and prevent outbreaks.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>About Measles</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>A viral infection that's serious for small children but is easily preventable by a vaccine.The disease spreads through the air by respiratory droplets produced from coughing or sneezing.Measles symptoms don't appear until 10 to 14 days after exposure. They include cough, runny nose, inflamed eyes, sore throat, fever and a red, blotchy skin rash.There's no treatment to get rid of an established measles infection, but over-the-counter fever reducers or vitamin A may help with symptoms.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”> </p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-size:12.0pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Source- Indian Express</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>