Measles outbreak suspected as nearly 1,000 killed in Bangladesh this year so far

Bangladesh, once close to eliminating measles, is grappling with its worst outbreak on record since March. The country has reported 999 suspected and confirmed measles-related deaths, overwhelming hospitals due to overcrowding and shortages. Since the outbreak began, more than 166,000 suspected measles cases have been recorded, leading to 19,835 laboratory-confirmed infections and over 146,000 hospitalisations.

Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain attributed the vaccine shortage to procurement changes following a political upheaval that replaced then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024. The disruption to immunisation schedules, including a vaccination programme postponement in 2024 and a nationwide measles-rubella campaign cancellation the following year, left many children unprotected against the highly infectious disease.

Experts highlighted weak programme oversight and monitoring as contributing factors. Under-fives accounted for about 80% of cases during the early stages of the outbreak. Bangladesh's healthcare system is struggling to cope with the surge in measles cases while simultaneously dealing with a dengue epidemic, with over 45,000 dengue patients admitted to hospitals this year, resulting in nine deaths and 1,571 admissions.

Health authorities are prioritising closing immunity gaps, increasing vaccination coverage, and stepping up public awareness to contain the outbreak.