Dhaka, April 7: The measles outbreak in Bangladesh is escalating. On Tuesday, the Director General of Health Services (DGHS) reported that 118 people have died due to suspected cases and complications, with most victims being children.
According to the DGHS, this death toll was recorded from March 15 to Monday morning. Alarmingly, five deaths occurred within just 24 hours over Sunday and Monday.
The health agency indicated that there are 2,006 suspected measles patients, predominantly children, receiving treatment in various hospitals across the country.
Reports reveal that two more children suffering from infectious disease symptoms died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), raising the total fatalities at this facility to 42. A spokesperson for the hospital, Shankar Kumar Biswas, confirmed that both children passed away within the 24-hour period between Sunday and Monday.
Experts have warned that without systemic improvements, the emergency measures taken to control measles are unlikely to yield significant benefits. Benazir Ahmed, former director of disease control at the DGHS, stated that the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus abruptly canceled the sectoral program that funded vaccinations. This decision has led to a shortage of measles vaccines, resulting in numerous child fatalities.
The prominent Bangladeshi newspaper, Daily Star, quoted Ahmed saying, “While we should be celebrating something positive on World Health Day, we are fighting an outbreak that is truly distressing. We aim to eliminate measles and rubella by 2026, yet we are grappling with a rising number of measles patients in hospitals.”
Additionally, a special immunization campaign planned for late 2024 could not proceed amid political changes.
Health officials noted that the interim government has not initiated any vaccination drives, while vaccination workers went on strike three times in 2025, disrupting routine immunization programs.
An anonymous official from Daily Star mentioned that due to funding shortages, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) had to ration vaccines in certain areas since January.
Public health expert Mushtaq Hussain emphasized that although the government has launched an emergency vaccination campaign to control the rise in measles cases and deaths, ongoing improvements in the health sector are essential.
As the death toll continues to rise, experts are urging the government to take immediate action, warning that failure to do so could lead to a severe measles outbreak, as one infected individual can spread the virus to 16 to 18 others.
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