Are global measles trends moving in the right direction?

Let's look at progress in measles eradication across countries and continents

When it comes to global measles eradication efforts, there is both cause for applause and cause for concern. In 2018, about 86% of the world's children received one dose of measles vaccine by their first birthday through routine health services – up from 72% in 2000. Measles vaccination resulted in a 73% drop in measles deaths between 2000 and 2018 worldwide. However, the frequency and magnitude of measles outbreaks worldwide in 2019 means that the goal of measles elimination in at least five WHO regions by 2020 set out in the Global Vaccine Action Plan is unlikely to be achieved. Learn more here.

Worldwide progress has been uneven, with notable measles outbreaks in 2019

This visualization is interactive and data can be sorted by country, number of total cases and continent.

Many of the world's most populous countries have achieved impressive reductions in measles cases, yet the number of cases in the US cases has increased in recent years

This visualization illustrates the variety of trends and magnitudes of outbreaks experienced in the 6 most populous countries worldwide from 2011 to 2019. Please note that the line goes below zero to smooth out the curve; there are no negative cases. Based on data from the  World Health Organization. Visualization adapted from Andrew Sielen's Block.