Dhaka, September 6 (Daily Kiran) : The measles outbreak in Bangladesh continues to escalate, with three more children reported dead, raising the total fatalities to 994 as of September 6, 2026. These latest deaths occurred within the last 24 hours, according to health officials.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) classified these recent fatalities as suspected measles deaths. Currently, there are 894 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak, while confirmed measles fatalities remain at 100, as reported by the United News of Bangladesh (UNB).
In the same 24-hour period, Bangladesh recorded 1,043 new suspected measles cases, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 164,148. Additionally, 55 new confirmed cases were identified, increasing the laboratory-confirmed cases to 19,696.
Since March 15, a total of 144,168 suspected measles patients have been hospitalized, with 138,772 recovering from the illness.
On September 4, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain announced that a vaccination campaign would commence by the end of the month. Speaking to reporters after inspecting Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, he confirmed that vaccine supplies have been secured.
Amid the sharp rise in measles cases, a prominent international advocacy group recently described the ongoing outbreak as one of the worst public health crises in Bangladesh’s recent history. The report highlighted that this preventable disease could have been mitigated through vaccination.
In a report titled “Preventable Tragedy: Bangladesh’s 2026 Measles Outbreak,” the Canada-based Global Center for Democratic Governance (GCDG) noted that while the outbreak may seem sudden, it was not unexpected from an epidemiological perspective.
The report attributed the crisis to disruptions in vaccine supply and health programs during the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus from 2024 to 2025. Key factors included missed routine vaccinations, cancellation of scheduled supplemental vaccination programs, administrative delays in vaccine procurement, and failure to promptly identify at-risk populations.
According to the GCDG, Bangladesh has long relied on vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) through the international supply chain managed by UNICEF. However, the interim government shifted to an open tender procurement process. The report cited UNICEF’s warnings to the interim government about the potential vaccine shortage through various formal communications and meetings between 2024 and 2026.
Statistics from the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) reported by the Bangladeshi daily Samakal indicated that measles vaccination coverage dropped to 56.2% in 2025, the lowest level recorded between 2017 and 2025.
The WHO later identified the nationwide shortage of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine and the lack of routine vaccinations during 2024-2025 as primary factors contributing to decreased immunity among children, leading to the current outbreak in 2026.
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