The World Health Organisation has issued a warning over the “alarming spread” of measles in Europe following an almost 45-fold increase in cases across the continent.
The organisation warned cases have picked up in recent months, with member states reporting 42,200 measles cases last year, about 45 times the number in 2022, which stood at 941.
Two in five cases were in children aged one to four, while one in five were among people aged 20 and over.
The increase, which has been accompanied by about 21,000 hospital admissions and five deaths, threatens progress towards eliminating the disease, the health body said.
The WHO warned that the rising trend would continue if people do not vaccinate their children against the disease.
Last week, the UK launched its own campaigns to encourage parents to get the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for their children.
Measles can lead to serious complications, lifelong disability and death.
It can affect the lungs and brain and cause pneumonia, meningitis, blindness and seizures.
Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said: “Vaccination is the only way to protect children from this potentially dangerous disease.
“Urgent vaccination efforts are needed to halt transmission and prevent further spread.
“It is vital that all countries are prepared to rapidly detect and timely respond to measles outbreaks, which could endanger progress towards measles elimination.”
The WHO said sliding vaccination rates were to blame, but noted that more people were now travelling abroad after Covid-19, increasing the risk of cross-border disease transmission and spread within communities.
The UK is on a “trajectory for everything getting much worse” when it comes to measles spreading, British officials said.
Prof Dame Jenny Harries said “concerted action” was needed to tackle the virus.
She suggested the majority of people were not against their child receiving the MMR jab, but that they needed more information to feel confident about their decision.
“What we are seeing at the moment with measles is that people have forgotten what a serious illness it is,” she said.
“We have had very high vaccination rates, especially for young families, but they are low at the moment.”
Muslim communities in the West Midlands are being advised there are alternatives available to the MMR pork derivative-based jab in an attempt to help raise vaccine rates.
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
