Bangladesh is confronting its most severe measles outbreak in decades, with child deaths approaching 1,000 and hospitals overwhelmed by patients struggling to survive the highly contagious disease.
As of Saturday, health authorities reported 991 child deaths linked to measles and measles-like symptoms since mid-March, according to the Directorate General of Health Services under the Health Ministry. Of these fatalities, 100 were confirmed measles deaths. The total number of suspected and confirmed cases has exceeded 180,000, with authorities reporting over 1,000 new suspected cases daily.
The Dhaka division alone has recorded 464 deaths. Among hospitalized children across the country, 143,214 have been admitted since mid-March, with 137,921 recovering and being discharged, according to health officials.
Measles is highly contagious, transmitted through cough and sneeze droplets, with no specific treatment once contracted. Complications can include brain inflammation and severe respiratory problems. While any person can contract the disease, young children are particularly vulnerable. Most cases during the current outbreak have occurred in children between six months and five years old.
Physicians report that many children arrive at hospitals in critical condition. Malnutrition has been identified as a factor that weakens children's ability to resist the virus.
In response to the outbreak, Bangladesh launched a broad vaccination campaign in spring to contain the disease. However, new cases continue to be registered, and the healthcare system faces significant patient overflow. Hospital wards in the capital Dhaka, including Shishu Hospital, are filled with sick children. The cries of ill children and the sound of oxygen machines dominate the environment in these facilities.
One mother, Rima Akter, told media outlets she was caring for her nine-month-old son Sabit Hakim at the hospital and reported witnessing two child deaths in a single day.
Bangladesh, a densely populated South Asian country of approximately 175 million people, has been struggling to contain the outbreak amid low vaccination coverage, according to the World Health Organization.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for health affairs Dia-ud-Din Haider described the outbreak as "devastating."