Bangladesh faced another tragedy as a child succumbed to measles, pushing the total confirmed and suspected deaths to 643 since March 15. The recent death, reported by the Directorate General of Health Services, occurred within 24 hours leading up to Friday morning. While confirmed deaths remained at 92, suspected deaths rose to 551.
Reports indicate a total of 1,027 suspected measles cases in the past day, bringing the overall count to 84,266. Additionally, 126 new confirmed cases were recorded, increasing the total to 10,185 during the same period. Despite claims of vaccination coverage exceeding 100% of targeted children, Bangladesh’s severe measles outbreak persists, causing concerns among immunization experts regarding vaccine effectiveness and coverage gaps.
The ongoing rise in measles cases has raised alarms among public health experts. They emphasize that high vaccination coverage does not guarantee protection unless children develop sufficient immunity. Be-Nazir Ahmed, a former director of the government’s disease control branch, highlighted that measles transmission should significantly decrease when vaccine coverage surpasses 90%. However, the current situation suggests gaps between official targets and the actual number of vaccinated children.
Expressing deep worry over the worsening measles crisis, the Awami League attributed the outbreak to a “man-made failure of governance.” They claimed that decisions made during previous administrations contributed to the current situation.
