Bangladesh: 13 more die of measles outbreak, overall death toll climbs to 512
Dhaka, May 23
At least 13 more people have died from measles and measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh on Saturday, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 512, 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.
Among the 13 fatalities, one was a confirmed measles death, while the remaining 12 died with symptoms of the disease, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported
Reports suggest that the number of confirmed deaths surged to 86, while suspected deaths reached 426.
Additionally, 165 new confirmed cases were reported, taking the total tally of confirmed cases to 8,494 during the same period.
The DGHS also recorded 1,967 new suspected cases over the last 24 hours, increasing the total to 62,507.
Amid an escalating measles outbreak in Bangladesh, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) earlier this week said that it had repeatedly warned the country's earlier interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, both through written communication and meetings with health ministry officials, about vaccine shortages that could trigger a major health crisis, local media reported.
Addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, said that the UN agency sent five to six letters to the health authorities on the issue and raised the matter in 10 meetings during the tenure of the interim government.
"From 2024, we were warning the government that the shortage of vaccines could lead to an outbreak. From 2024 to 2025 and into 2026, we sent letters, and we had 10 different meetings signalling this was a problem and that orders for vaccines needed to be given. They could not," The Daily Star quoted Flowers as saying.
According to Flowers, Ted Chaiban, Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, raised concerns over vaccine shortages at a meeting with the foreign ministry during his visit to Bangladesh in August last year.
She added that the UN agency would provide evidence to assist the investigation launched by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government on the measles outbreak.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a wake-up call for all South Asian countries. We have seen how quickly measles can spread when vaccination coverage drops. Bangladesh's interim government dropped the ball, but let's not forget that even in India, we have pockets of vaccine hesitancy. The lesson here is clear: weak public health infrastructure costs lives. The UNICEF warnings being ignored for 2 years is criminal negligence.
As an international observer, this is disturbing. UNICEF flagged this in 2024 and nothing was done. 512 deaths is not a small number—it's a catastrophe in the making. The BNP-led government needs to act fast, not just investigate. Vaccines are cheap and effective. This is a failure of governance, plain and simple.
62,507 suspected cases and 8,494 confirmed cases—these numbers are staggering. The fact that UNICEF had to send 5-6 letters and hold 10 meetings just to flag this shows how bureaucratic systems can fail people. Meanwhile, children are dying. India should step in with vaccine supplies and medical teams. Regional solidarity is needed now more than ever. 😔
Shocking but not surprising. When governments are unstable or transition frequently, public health gets neglected. The Yunus-led interim government clearly didn't act on vaccine procurement. Now over 500 dead. The new BNP government must immediately launch a mass vaccination drive. Also, India should share our measles vaccine stockpile with Bangladesh—this is a humanitarian crisis.
As a public health professional, this is devastating. Measles is one of the most contagious diseases, and vaccine coverage must be above 95%
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