Armed conflict is linked to increased measles cases globally

AI Summary

New research published in PLOS Medicine finds a strong link between armed conflict and increased measles cases worldwide. Conflicts disrupt immunization programs and weaken economic and health infrastructures, elevating disease risk even after fighting ceases.

Countries experiencing armed conflict tend to report more measles cases, and the elevated risk persists even a year after the fighting, according to new research published in PLOS Medicine. The study links armed conflict to measles in two ways: directly, by disrupting immunization programs, and—more powerfully—indirectly, by eroding a country's economic, educational and health foundations that protect populations from preventable disease.