Measles Outbreak in Bangladesh: Death Toll Rises to 1,019

DHAKA, Sept 12 : Seven more people died with measles symptoms across Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, taking the combined death toll from confirmed and suspected measles cases to 1,019, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

More than 100 people have died from confirmed measles infections, while 919 deaths have been reported among patients with measles-related symptoms.

The DGHS said 855 new patients with measles symptoms were admitted to hospitals across the country during the 24-hour period from Friday morning to Saturday. Dhaka division recorded the highest number of admissions at 377, followed by Chattogram (200), Sylhet (121), Barishal (60), Rajshahi (55), Mymensingh (37), Khulna (31) and Rangpur (four).

Since March 15, a total of 150,202 patients with measles symptoms have been admitted to hospitals nationwide, of whom 144,465 have recovered and been discharged.

The number of suspected measles cases has risen to 170,638, while 20,006 cases have been confirmed as measles since March 15.

Amid the continuing spread of the disease, the Bangladesh government is preparing to launch another nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign on September 25, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said on Thursday.

Speaking at a World Suicide Prevention Day seminar at the University Women's Federation College in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, the minister said most children newly contracting measles had not received measles vaccinations.

He said the government initially faced difficulties in containing the outbreak because of inadequate vaccine stocks left by the previous administration. The health ministry subsequently procured additional doses and launched emergency vaccination efforts for children who had been missed by routine immunisation programmes.

"New vaccines have arrived from UNICEF for children who are still outside the vaccination coverage. Using these vaccines, the large-scale campaign will resume from September 25," Sakhawat said.

He added that most of the vaccines required for the new campaign had already arrived through UNICEF, while the remaining doses were expected to reach Bangladesh by September 17.

The first emergency vaccination campaign began on April 5, targeting children aged six months to 59 months in 30 high-risk upazilas. It was expanded to four city corporation areas from April 12 before being rolled out nationwide on April 20. The nationwide campaign continued until May 20.

Despite the vaccination drive and other government measures, measles infections have continued to spread.

According to DGHS figures, 1,002 people had died from confirmed measles and measles-like symptoms as of Wednesday.

The health ministry said an additional 1.4 million children had subsequently been vaccinated through follow-up efforts. It also said the government had secured vaccines for 18.5 million children within 21 days and completed the vaccination programme.