Dhaka, June 20: The measles outbreak in Bangladesh continues to escalate. Following the death of seven more children on Saturday, the total confirmed and suspected fatalities since March 15 this year has risen to 677. As the health crisis deepens, the number of infection cases is also surging rapidly.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), seven children, suspected to be measles victims, died within the last 24 hours as of Saturday morning. This brings the total number of suspected deaths to 584, while the confirmed death toll remains at 93.
DGHS data indicates that there were 807 new suspected measles cases reported in the last 24 hours, raising the total number of suspected patients to 91,789. During the same period, 80 new confirmed cases were recorded, increasing the total confirmed infections to 10,949.
Reports suggest that the total number of measles and suspected measles cases has surpassed 100,000. This alarming situation follows a large-scale vaccination campaign that targeted 18.4 million children just a month ago.
Health experts attribute the ongoing outbreak to insufficient vaccination coverage in certain areas and inadequate implementation of infection control measures. They warn that the onset of the dengue season could further complicate the situation for children infected with measles.
Public health expert Mushtuq Hussain pointed out two primary reasons for the persistent measles cases: the failure to achieve 95 percent vaccination coverage across all regions and the lack of proper adherence to infection prevention measures in hospitals and communities.
Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused both the previous interim government and the current administration of disrupting the vaccination program. She stated that attempts to implement a new vaccine procurement system have hindered vaccination efforts, leading to the outbreak becoming a pandemic due to the current government’s alleged negligence and incompetence.
Hasina claimed that millions of children in 61 districts are affected by this disease, with official figures indicating over 600 deaths, although the actual number could be much higher. She described the situation as not merely an accident but an “administrative crime.”
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