At least 10 more individuals have succumbed to measles and related symptoms in Bangladesh, bringing the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 294 amidst a deepening health crisis in the country. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported these fatalities within a 24-hour period leading up to Sunday morning. The death toll includes 50 confirmed measles-related deaths and 244 suspected cases, with new fatalities reported in various divisions including Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram, Khulna, and Sylhet.
Ninety-five new confirmed measles cases were recorded during the same period, pushing the total number of cases to 5,313. Additionally, DGHS documented 1,166 new suspected cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 40,491. In remote hill settlements in Alikadam upazila of Bandarban district, children displaying measles-like symptoms are receiving treatment with local remedies and herbal medicine due to limited access to healthcare, resulting in the deaths of five children and infections among others in the region.
The measles outbreak in Bangladesh has raised significant health concerns, with reports of families resorting to traditional treatments like wild vine extracts due to restricted access to proper medical care. Experts attribute the epidemic to a breakdown in vaccine procurement post the July 2024 protests, leading to vaccine shortages and reduced immunization rates nationwide. The surge in measles-related deaths is further compounded by high child malnutrition rates and a fragile healthcare system, underscoring the rapid unraveling of public health progress.
Following the political unrest in 2024 and subsequent changes in government, vaccine coverage in Bangladesh was disrupted, exacerbating the current crisis. The interim government’s decision to shift vaccine procurement to an open tender system in September 2025 has been criticized for contributing to the vaccine shortages. Urging immediate action, Mohammad Mushtuq Husain from the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) in Dhaka called for the formal declaration of a public health emergency to address the severity of the situation.
