Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Health Media Officer at the Ministry of Health office in Taiz Governorate, Tayseer Al-Samei, said on Monday that the measles virus continues to claim the lives of children in Yemen, amid a noticeable increase in the number of infections and deaths during the first half of this year.
Al-Samei explained, in a press release, that the number of deaths resulting from measles in areas under the control of the Yemeni government rose to 87 deaths by the end of the first half of 2026, while the total number of suspected cases reached 14,470.
He added that Taiz Governorate recorded the highest number of deaths with 18 cases, followed by Aden with 14 cases, then Hadramawt (Seiyun) with 12 cases, Abyan and Lahj with 11 cases each, Marib with 8 cases, and Hadramawt (Al-Mukalla) with 7 cases, while Al-Mahrah and Al-Dhale’e recorded two deaths each, and Al-Hudaidah and Socotra recorded one death in each governorate.
He pointed out the lack of accurate official data regarding the spread of the disease in areas under the control of the Houthi group, noting that World Health Organization reports indicate that about 70 percent of measles cases are concentrated outside government-controlled areas, which suggests that the scale of the disease’s spread in those areas is larger than the available figures.
Al-Samei warned that the reluctance of some fathers and mothers to immunize their children, as a result of rumors and misinformation about vaccines, is one of the most prominent reasons for the continued rise in deaths resulting from the disease.
He stressed that vaccines represent the most effective means to prevent measles and limit its spread, calling on parents to complete immunization doses on schedule to protect their children from the disease’s complications, which may include pneumonia and encephalitis, and can end in death, especially among young children and those suffering from malnutrition and weak immunity.
He emphasized that protecting children is a shared responsibility, and that the vaccine represents the first line of defense to preserve their lives and health.
