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Measles Outbreak: 98 Children Dead in Bangladesh
5 Apr
Summary
- Measles suspected in over 6,400 children under five years old.
- At least 98 children have died from suspected measles in three weeks.
- Vaccine shortages and program delays are key contributing factors.
Bangladesh is currently facing a critical measles outbreak, with official data indicating that at least 98 children have died from suspected cases in the past three weeks. The number of children aged six months to five years exhibiting measles symptoms has surged to 6,476. This situation represents a significant increase compared to previous years, according to health officials.
Halimur Rashid, director at the Communicable Disease Control, attributed the potential outbreak to multifactorial causes, notably a shortage of vaccines. While confirmed cases stand at 826 with 16 deaths, experts suggest testing is often not performed, or patients die before samples can be collected.
Efforts to combat the disease have been hampered by past governmental upheavals and delays in the measles vaccination drive originally scheduled for June 2024. Public health experts have expressed concern, noting that despite allocated funds for vaccine purchases, authorities failed to procure them, leading to the current alarming situation.
In response, Dhaka has identified 30 highly affected areas and launched an intensified vaccination program targeting the worst-hit regions before expanding nationwide. The government aims to reverse the trend and reduce cases significantly, despite having failed to meet the zero-case target by December 2025 due to poor vaccination programs.
