COVID-19 pandemic, the highest number in more than a decade, fueling outbreaks of measles, polio and other preventable diseases, U.N.
agencies said on Thursday.Measles, one of the world’s most contagious diseases, can be fatal to children under the age of five, especially in African and Asian countries with weak health systems, according to the World Health Organization.
Polio can cripple a child for life.The gap in global vaccination coverage has set up a “perfect storm,” leaving more children vulnerable to infectious pathogens just as many countries ease COVID-19 restrictions, the WHO and U.N.
Children’s Fund said in an annual report.Ten countries, led by India and Nigeria, account for the bulk of the 22.7 million children left.