Dhaka, May 22: The measles outbreak in Bangladesh has claimed the lives of 11 children in the past 24 hours, raising the total death toll to 499 since March 15.
According to local media reports, nine of the recent fatalities are suspected to be linked to measles, while two have been confirmed as measles-related deaths, as reported by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Out of the total deaths, there are 414 suspected cases and 85 confirmed cases associated with measles.
In the last 24 hours, Bangladesh reported 1,261 new suspected measles cases, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 60,540. Additionally, 54 new confirmed measles cases were identified, increasing the total number of infected individuals to 8,329.
Since March 15, a total of 47,511 suspected measles patients have been hospitalized, with 43,411 having recovered and returned home.
As the measles outbreak continues to spread rapidly, UNICEF has stated that it had repeatedly warned the previous interim government, led by Mohammad Yunus, about the vaccine shortage.
During a press conference in Dhaka, UNICEF representative Rana Flowers mentioned that the UN agency sent five to six letters to the health ministry regarding this issue and raised it in ten meetings during the interim government’s tenure.
“We have been alerting the government since 2024 that the vaccine shortage could lead to a major health crisis. From 2024 to 2026, we consistently sent letters and emphasized the urgent need for vaccine procurement, but no action was taken,” she said.
Rana Flowers also noted that UNICEF’s Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban expressed concerns about the vaccine crisis during a meeting with the Foreign Ministry during his visit to Bangladesh last August.
She added that UNICEF will provide all necessary evidence for the investigation initiated by the BNP-led government into the measles outbreak.
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