Bangladesh measles outbreak claims seven more lives, death toll rises to 709

A devastating measles outbreak in Bangladesh has claimed 709 lives since March, driven by localized vaccination gaps and weak hospital infection controls. Public health officials warn the crisis could worsen rapidly as the country enters its annual dengue season

Dhaka: As many as seven more children died from the measles outbreak in Bangladesh on Saturday, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 709 since March 15 this year, amid an escalating health crisis in the country, local media reported.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the deaths were reported in the 24 hours leading up to Saturday morning.

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Out of the seven latest fatalities, one has been classified as a confirmed measles fatality, while six others were classified as suspected.

The latest update has taken the number of suspected measles fatalities to 615, while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths has risen to 94, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

During the 24-hour period, 744 new suspected measles cases were reported in Bangladesh, raising the number of suspected cases in the country to 98,266. As many as 45 new confirmed cases of measles were reported during the same period, taking the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 11,594.

Since March 15, a total of 81,955 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals in Bangladesh. Among them, 78,287 patients have recovered, according to the DGHS, Views Bangladesh reported.

Health experts cited the possible gaps in vaccination coverage in certain areas, along with weak infection control and prevention measures, as contributing factors. They warned that the onset of the dengue season could further endanger children already infected with measles, increasing the risk of severe complications.

Public health expert Mushtuq Husain said that measles cases are failing to decline for two main reasons: vaccination coverage not reaching the 95 per cent threshold in all areas and inadequate adherence to infection prevention and control measures in hospitals and communities, Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.

Earlier this month, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for disrupting the country’s vaccination programme while pursuing a new vaccine procurement system.