Measles outbreak in Bangladesh claims six more lives; death toll nears 600
Dhaka, June 2
At least six more children died from the measles outbreak in Bangladesh on Tuesday, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 594 since March 15 this year, local media reported.
Amid the worsening health crisis in the country, 309 deaths from measles and related symptoms were recorded in May alone.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the six deaths were reported in the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday morning.
Among the latest fatalities, all were identified as suspected, Bangladeshi daily Dhaka Tribune reported.
Reports suggest that while the number of confirmed deaths remained at 90, the total number of suspected deaths climbed to 504.
The DGHS recorded a total of 1,292 suspected measles cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall tally of suspected cases to 73,362.
Additionally, 42 new confirmed cases were reported, increasing the total to 9,136 during the same period.
As Bangladesh grapples with an escalating measles outbreak, the infections and fatalities continue to rise across the country despite the conclusion of the preliminary phase for the one-and-a-half-month special measles-rubella vaccination drive on May 20, Bangladesh's leading newspaper, The Daily Star, reported.
The data from DGHS showed that daily cases exceeded 1,000 per day throughout the last month, with exceptions only on May 9, 16, and 23.
Last month, the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) 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 previous 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 current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government on the measles outbreak.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Seeing this from our neighbor is alarming. We in India must also stay vigilant. No political leadership should ignore basic healthcare. The deaths of over 500 children is criminal negligence. We need to learn from this and ensure our own systems don't fail similarly. The new Bangladesh government has a huge responsibility now.
As a health professional, I'm shocked by this. Measles is entirely preventable with two doses of vaccine. When UNICEF sends 5-6 letters and holds 10 meetings and still the government fails to act, that's a systemic collapse. The international community should step in to provide emergency vaccines to Bangladesh now.
I feel so sad for those families. 73,000 suspected cases is terrifying. The previous government's inaction is unforgivable. However, I pray the new government learns from this and strengthens its health system. India has a lesson here too - always maintain vaccine stocks and never let political changes disrupt public health.
This is a humanitarian crisis. Over 500 deaths in just two months. The warning signs were there for a year. The international community needs to ask tough questions about how such a preventable outbreak was allowed to happen. I hope the investigation yields accountability.
As a father of two, I cannot imagine losing a child to a disease we have a vaccine for. This is a failure at every level - the previous government, the health ministry, and the bureaucracy. It's a shame that warnings from 2024 were ignored. May the new government take this as a wake-up call for public health.
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