Around 60 children aged between one month and 5-year-old have died of measles across the state in the past two years. While the number of deaths in 2018-19 was recorded at 28, deaths caused by measles among children has declined compared to 32 casualties in 2017-18.
A Right To Information (RTI) query filed by RTI activist Chetan Kothari has revealed that deaths caused by measles among children between the age of one and 12 months have declined in the last one year across the state. However, deaths in children aged between one year and 5 years have increased.
According to the response received on the basis on Health Management Information System (HMIS), seven infants (one month to 12-month-old) have died due to measles between April 2018 to February 19 in comparison to 17 deaths in the corresponding period in 2017-18.
Similarly, between April 2018 to 19, 21 children between one year to five-year-old have died due to measles in comparison to 15 deaths in the corresponding period in 2017-18.
The data also reveals that the number of deaths reported in the rural areas of the state is more in comparison to the cities. While measles outbreak has been reported in Mumbai this year, the state's health service has also recorded new cases in other districts of the state including Thane and Prabhani.
Dr Archana Patil, additional director of Directorate of health service, said, "No outbreak has been reported in other parts of the state as of now. Every year small outbreaks reported from across the state. This year few cases have been reported in Mumbai, Thane and Prabhani. While the phase-wise Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign is over, routine immunization will be carried out across the state."