The Guardian: Shock rise in global measles outbreaks ‘disastrous’ for children, U.N. warns
“Cases of childhood measles are surging to shocking levels around the globe, led by 10 countries that account for three-quarters of the rise. Amid warnings of ‘disastrous consequences’ for children if the disease continues to spread unchecked, a worldwide survey by the U.N. children’s agency, UNICEF, said 98 countries around the globe reported a rise in measles cases in 2018 compared with 2017. That total includes a number of countries that had previously eradicated the disease…” (Beaumont, 3/1).

The Telegraph: ‘Like dropping a match in a gas canister’: why measles outbreaks are on the rise
“…It is not a mystery why measles is on the rise: globally, childhood immunization rates have stagnated, with the latest data from WHO showing that by the end of 2017 85 percent of children globally had received one dose of the measles vaccination and 67 percent had received the recommended two doses. … Children’s charity UNICEF has warned that the ‘alarming’ global surge in the number of measles cases is a threat to children. It blamed the increase on a range of factors: poor health infrastructure, civil strife, low community awareness, complacency, and vaccine hesitancy…” (Gulland/Newey, 2/28).

Additional coverage of UNICEF’s measles data is available from Agence France-Presse, CNN, Fortune, TIME, U.N. Dispatch, and UPI.