As Bangladesh grapples with a measles outbreak, a total of 118 people, mostly children, died from the suspected cases
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DHAKA — As Bangladesh grapples with a measles outbreak, a total of 118 people, mostly children, died from the suspected cases, local media reported on Tuesday, citing the country’s Directorate General of Health Services(DGHS).
According to the DGHS, the fatalities have been recorded since March 15, including five deaths in the 24-hour period ending Monday morning.
The health agency stated that the 2006 suspected measles patients, primarily children, are currently receiving care at hospitals across the country.
Reports suggest another two children died with the symptoms of an infectious disease at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH), bringing the total number of such deaths at the facility to 42.
Confirming the recent fatalities, hospital spokesperson Shankar Kumar Biswas confirmed that deaths occurred over a 24-hour span, Sunday to Monday morning, the Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.
Experts warned that in the absence of systemic reform, emergency measures taken to control the measles outbreak are unlikely to yield significant benefits.
Benazir Ahmed, a health expert and former director of disease control at the DGHS, said that the previous Muhammad Yunus-led interim government’s sudden cancellation of the sectoral programme, which provided funds for vaccination, sparked a measles vaccine crisis, resulting in the deaths of many children.
“When we are supposed to celebrate something positive on World Health Day, we have to fight an outbreak, which is very unfortunate. We are supposed to eliminate measles-rubella by 2026, but we are struggling with the growing number of measles patients at hospitals," Bangladesh’s leading newspaper, Daily Star, quoted Ahmed as saying.
Additionally, the special campaign for immunisation planned for late 2024 could not be carried out amid the political transition.
According to health officials, the interim government did not launch any such drive, while workers responsible for administering the shots went on strike three times in 2025, disrupting the regular vaccination programme.
Speaking to Daily Star on condition of anonymity, another official said that the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) was forced to ration vaccines in some region since January due to a fund shortage.
Mushtaq Husain, another public health expert, said that although the government has undertaken an emergency vaccination campaign to control the spike in measles cases and deaths, the health sector requires reform to ensure sustainable progress.
Amid the rising fatalities, experts have also urged the government to take urgent action, warning that failure to act could lead to a widespread measles outbreak, as one patient can infect 16 to 18 people.