Geneva (INA) - The World Health Organization said Thursday that measles deaths have risen by 20 percent in the past year, and that the virus has the potential to make a comeback. According to the latest statistics from the World Health Organization, the number of deaths due to this disease rose to more than 145 in 2013, compared to 122 in the previous year. The World Health Organization said efforts to eradicate a vaccine-treatable disease had stalled for a variety of reasons, including conflict and funding cuts. In Geneva, Dr. Robert Peary of the World Health Organization said there is a lot of concern in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, where fighting and large population displacements have made it difficult to vaccinate people effectively. The organization attributed the increase last year, according to UN Radio, to measles outbreaks in China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria. But the vast majority of deaths from the disease occur in developing countries, including India, Nigeria, Pakistan and Ethiopia. The organization warned that failure to reverse this disturbing trend could threaten a decade of achievements in combating this highly contagious disease. (I finish)
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