The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned over increasing cases of measles and rubella among children in Yemen. As of 31 July this year, the number of suspected cases of measles and rubella in Yemen has reached almost 34,300 cases and 413 deaths, compared to 27,000 cases and 220 associated deaths in 2022. There is also limited information on the outbreak's impact on pregnant women who remain at high risk.

"Ideally, the outbreak response vaccination campaign should target at least all children under the age of ten to be comprehensive and effective; however, the current funding gap has eroded support and limited the target to children under five years of age---the group with higher mortality rates," said Dr Arturo Pesigan, WHO Representative in Yemen.

The increase in measles and rubella cases among children in Yemen this year is occurring within a context of economic decline and low incomes, displacement, and overcrowded living conditions in camps, coupled with an overwhelmed health system, low immunization rates, and a large number of children who remain unreachable through routine immunization interventions. According to the WHO-UNICEF National Immunization Coverage Estimate for 2022, 27 percent of children under one year of age in Yemen are unvaccinated for measles and rubella and have not met the minimal set of vaccines for full protection.

WHO is working with the Yemeni Ministry of Public Health and Population (MoPHP) and partners to increase support for routine vaccination interventions. WHO also continues to work within the National Health Framework to provide technical and financial support to improve coverage among children. In 2022, WHO supported the protection of around 913,000 children from measles and rubella. As of July 2023, MoPHP with the support of WHO and other partners reached a coverage rate of around 65 percent of all children---both doses of measles and rubella (MR1 and MR2). A measles-rubella vaccination campaign, targeting 1.2 million children under the age of five, is planned to be implemented in September this year.