Dhaka [Bangladesh], September 10 – A measles outbreak sweeping Bangladesh has killed nearly 1,000 people this year with thousands of children falling ill amid disruptions to the country’s vaccination programme.
The government’s Directorate General of Health Services reported 999 deaths from suspected measles cases as of Tuesday. More than 1,66,000 suspected cases have been recorded since March including 19,835 laboratory confirmed infections.
The outbreak has left hospitals struggling to treat severely ill children. Eight-month-old Rojatun Jannat Ramisa is among those receiving treatment at a specialised children’s hospital in Dhaka after being referred from eastern Bangladesh.
Her mother Ranu Akhter, said she saw other children with measles symptoms while her daughter was being treated at a district hospital.
The government launched an emergency vaccination campaign in March with support from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi, initially targeting children aged six months to five years before expanding it nationwide.
Health specialists blame gaps in routine immunisation for leaving many children unprotected. Vaccination programmes were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic while a major campaign scheduled for 2024 was also largely missed.
Doctors say infected children are arriving with serious complications including pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis.
“For the past six months we have been treating measles patients continuously and we are exhausted,” said paediatric specialist Atiqul Islam.
