At least 194 children have died from a measles outbreak in Bangladesh since March, with 28,000 suspected cases hospitalised, officials in Dhaka confirmed on Friday. The highly contagious disease has been claiming three to five young lives daily over the past week.
Outbreak Declared in March
Bangladesh declared a measles outbreak on 15 March, the worst in decades for the South Asian nation. The government has launched an ambitious nationwide vaccination campaign, while the World Health Organization (WHO) has assessed the national risk as high due to ongoing transmission across multiple divisions.
“Our target is to vaccinate 18 million children,” said health department spokesman Zahid Raihan. “So far, we have covered a little over one-fourth of our target, and it may take another two weeks to see the impact of this vaccination programme.”
Widespread Transmission
According to the WHO, Bangladesh has seen a marked increase in measles cases since January. Cases have been reported across all eight divisions, in 58 out of 64 districts (91 per cent), indicating widespread transmission nationally. Between 15 March and 14 April, 19,161 suspected cases and 2,973 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, with 12,318 hospital admissions and 9,772 discharges.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, spread through coughs and sneezes, and can cause severe complications including brain swelling and respiratory problems, particularly in children.
Political Blame
Newly-inducted Prime Minister Tarique Rahman blamed the previous government of Sheikh Hasina for mismanagement and failing to vaccinate the population, leading to the surge. Despite significant advancements in vaccination programmes for other infectious diseases, measles was neglected due to the major protests that toppled the Hasina administration in June 2024.
“The autocratic government that we ousted, together with political parties both inside and outside Parliament, did not procure vaccines,” Mr Rahman said. He added that the country is receiving assistance from the UN children’s agency but faces a shortage of testing kits.
Parents Grieve
The crisis has left many parents without means to save their children. “After noticing a rash on our son’s skin, we rushed him to the hospital. Five days later, we brought him back dead,” said Mohammad Sajib, who lost his three-year-old son. “He had a high fever and breathing difficulties,” his mother Afsin Meem told AFP.
