As the worst measles outbreak in decades worsens in Bangladesh, health officials scramble to curb the crisis with delayed vaccination efforts and strained hospital resources, with child fatalities nearing 1,000 amid escalating cases.
Bangladesh is confronting its worst measles outbreak in decades, with the death toll among children edging towards 1,000 and hospitals in the capital struggling to keep pace with the flow of seriously ill patients. Health ministry figures cited by AFP put the number of child deaths at 986 since March, alongside more than 180,000 suspected and confirmed cases, underscoring the scale of an epidemic that is still gathering pace.
At Dhaka’s Shishu Hospital, wards are crowded with infants and young children fighting high fevers, breathing problems and the rash associated with the virus. AFP reported that parents described scenes of distress and repeated deaths around them, while doctors warned that many children are arriving in critical condition, often already weakened by other illnesses.
The outbreak has hit the youngest hardest, particularly children between six months and five years old. According to AFP, malnutrition is making matters worse by leaving many patients too frail to recover quickly, and some are developing complications such as pneumonia that further damage their breathing. Measles itself has no specific cure once contracted, and it spreads easily through coughs and sneezes.
Bangladesh has launched a mass vaccination drive in response, but officials say the effort was delayed by political upheaval and labour unrest. SM Ziauddin Hyder, a health adviser to the government, called the situation devastating and said there had been a significant gap in children receiving doses. The World Health Organisation said Bangladesh had made progress towards measles elimination before the current outbreak, but vaccine coverage weakened between 2024 and 2025, routine immunisation gaps persisted and nationwide supplementary campaigns had not been held regularly since 2020.
Public health experts say the crisis now requires more than emergency treatment in overcrowded wards. Mahmudur Rahman, a former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, told AFP that Bangladesh should consider a broader vaccination campaign, along with stronger public awareness, isolation of infected children, handwashing and mask use by caregivers. The challenge is urgent: with more than 1,000 suspected cases still being reported each day, the epidemic shows how quickly missed vaccinations can turn into a national emergency.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
