Measles death toll hits 324 in 52 days
Seven more children died from measles or measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning, pushing the cumulative death toll to 324 over the past 52 days, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of the seven deaths recorded between 8am Tuesday and 8am Wednesday, five were attributed to measles-like symptoms while two were laboratory-confirmed measles fatalities. Geographically, two deaths each were reported in Chattogram and Rajshahi divisions, with one each in Sylhet, Khulna and Barishal.
Since mid-March, the outbreak has claimed 56 confirmed measles deaths and an additional 268 lives where measles symptoms were present but infection was not formally confirmed — a combined toll of 324, almost all of them children.
Hospitals Overwhelmed
The scale of the crisis is reflected in hospitalisation figures. In the same 24-hour window, 1,054 children were admitted across all eight divisions with measles-like symptoms, while 373 new cases were laboratory-confirmed. Sylhet division recorded the highest number of new confirmed cases at 182, followed by Dhaka division with 122. A total of 855 patients were discharged from hospitals nationwide during the same period.
Since March 15, DGHS data shows 6,099 measles cases have been confirmed through laboratory testing. Across the country, 44,260 suspected measles cases have been identified to date, of whom 27,223 have been discharged after treatment — leaving a significant number still under care.
Vaccines Arrive
In a development officials hope will help stem the outbreak, a fresh consignment of vaccines — including measles-rubella and oral polio vaccines — arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at around 11:45am on Wednesday. The shipment covers ten types of vaccines in total. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain was present at the airport to receive the consignment, according to state news agency BSS.
Growing Alarm
The outbreak, which has disproportionately affected children in both urban and rural settings, has raised serious questions about the country’s routine immunisation coverage, which was disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic and has yet to fully recover. Public health experts have warned that large pools of unvaccinated children left vulnerable in recent years are now bearing the brunt of the surge.
The DGHS has been publishing daily bulletins tracking admissions, confirmed cases, recoveries and deaths as health authorities attempt to contain the spread. Emergency vaccination campaigns are being mounted in the worst-affected divisions, though the pace and reach of those drives have drawn scrutiny from health advocates.
With the death toll rising daily and hospitals under strain, officials face mounting pressure to accelerate immunisation outreach — particularly in Sylhet and Dhaka, which are currently reporting the highest numbers of new confirmed infections.
