KIEV, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine saw the world's largest increase in measles cases in 2018, followed by the Philippines and Brazil, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on Friday.

A total of 35,120 cases of measles were recorded in Ukraine last year compared with 4,782 cases confirmed in 2017.

In the Philippines, 15,599 people were infected by measles in 2018, while 10,262 were diagnosed with the illness in Brazil.

According to the Ukrainian authorities, in the first two months of 2019 alone, 24,042 people were infected by measles in Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Health Ministry said earlier that 30 Ukrainians have died of measles since the start of the outbreak of the disease in 2017, including nine people so far this year.

The health authorities blamed the low level of immunization for the outbreak of the disease.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease transmitted by respiratory droplets and direct contact.