At least 12 more children have succumbed to measles and related symptoms in Bangladesh, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 451. The deaths, reported by the Directorate General of Health Services, occurred within a 24-hour period leading up to Friday morning. Among the fatalities, four were confirmed cases of measles, while the remaining eight children exhibited symptoms of the disease, as per The Daily Star.
Of the confirmed deaths, two were from the Dhaka division, and one each from the Chattogram and Barisal divisions. Moreover, suspected deaths include three each from the Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, and one each from the Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions. During the same period, 111 new confirmed measles cases were recorded by the DGHS.
As the infection continues to spread rapidly, health experts are urging the government to prioritize the ongoing measles vaccination campaign. They also recommend establishing “fever corners” at local health complexes to aid in early disease detection. This call was made during a joint press conference by the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh in Dhaka.
Health experts attribute the worsening outbreak to inadequate vaccination coverage last year and malnutrition. Meanwhile, a group of protestors in Dhaka demanded the trial of the former interim government’s chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and his health advisor Nurjahan Begum over the measles-related deaths. They also called for compensation for the victims’ families.
A recent report labeled the measles outbreak in Bangladesh as an “avoidable disaster,” emphasizing the need for accountability from the previous interim government. The editorial report in The Daily Star criticized the dismantling of the functional vaccine procurement system without the capacity to rebuild it, leading to the current crisis.
