Dhaka, June 2: Bangladesh is grappling with a severe measles outbreak that has claimed the lives of over 590 children. In May alone, 309 children lost their lives due to measles and related symptoms. Tragically, six more children died within the last 24 hours, as reported by health officials.
Since March 15, a total of 594 children have succumbed to the disease, according to official statistics. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) released a medical bulletin through the UNB news agency, indicating that these six recent deaths are categorized as suspected cases.
The latest figures show that the death toll from measles-like symptoms has reached 504, while 90 deaths are directly attributed to measles. In the past 24 hours, 1,292 new suspected measles cases have been reported, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 73,362.
During the same period, 42 new confirmed cases were recorded, raising the total confirmed cases to 9,136. Since March 15, 59,106 patients exhibiting measles-like symptoms have been hospitalized, with 54,812 recovering, according to DGHS data.
International media, including Reuters, report that between March and May 2026, Bangladesh recorded over 62,000 suspected measles cases and more than 8,000 confirmed laboratory cases.
The Daily Sun, an English-language daily in Bangladesh, noted that most of the affected children are under five years old and many have not completed the full measles vaccination course. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF have identified the decline in vaccination coverage as a significant factor contributing to the current crisis.
Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases globally. An infected child can spread the virus to nearly 90% of unvaccinated children in close proximity.
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