Bangladesh Records Over 1,000 Suspected Measles Cases

(MENAFN) Bangladesh is facing a rapidly escalating measles crisis, with authorities recording over 1,000 suspected infections in a single day as the death toll among children climbs past a grim milestone.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported 1,248 suspected and 189 confirmed measles cases between 8 AM Tuesday and 8 AM Wednesday, according to the Dhaka Tribune. Ten suspected deaths were logged within that same 24-hour window.

The capital, Dhaka, bore the heaviest burden, accounting for 505 suspected cases and six of the ten suspected fatalities recorded during the period.

Since March 15, cumulative national figures have reached 11,133 suspected and 1,599 confirmed cases through April 8, per DGHS data. Health officials cautioned, however, that these numbers capture only cases presenting at government hospitals — meaning the true scale of infections is likely considerably larger.

Dhaka is now conducting emergency measles-rubella vaccinations in a race to contain the outbreak, which has claimed the lives of more than 100 children in under a month, the Associated Press reported. A targeted immunization campaign covering children aged six months to five years across 18 high-risk districts was launched Sunday, in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO).

The outbreak represents a stark reversal for a country that has made generational strides in immunization. Bangladesh launched a sweeping national vaccination drive in 1979, lifting coverage from just 2% to 81.6% of fully immunized children — a figure that nonetheless falls short of the 95% population immunity threshold the WHO identifies as necessary to halt transmission of the disease.

Measles, a highly contagious airborne illness, triggers fever and respiratory complications and carries a risk of severe or fatal outcomes — particularly among young children, the WHO warns.

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