Bangladesh measles outbreak claims seven more lives, death toll rises to 709
Dhaka, June 27
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.
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.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Measles is preventable with a simple vaccine, yet this is happening. The fact that former PM Hasina blames the interim government for disrupting vaccination programmes shows how fragile health systems can be when politics takes over. We need to learn from this in India—vaccination drives must be kept above political differences.
The article mentions dengue season adding to the risk—this is a double whammy for children in Bangladesh. We've seen similar challenges in India with monsoon diseases. Hope the Bangladesh health authorities can step up infection control measures quickly. Every child's life matters.
As someone who works in global health, this is alarming. 98,266 suspected cases in such a short time shows a systemic failure. The 95% vaccination threshold is crucial—anything less leads to outbreaks like this. I hope international aid agencies step in to support Bangladesh's health system.
The blame game between politicians won't bring those children back. Whether it's vaccine procurement or delivery, the priority should be saving lives right now. India's Pulse Polio campaign shows what can be achieved with focused efforts—maybe Bangladesh can learn from our model.
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