Bangladesh measles toll rises as eight more children die

DHAKA: Bangladesh reported eight more child deaths linked to measles-like symptoms on Thursday, taking the overall toll since mid-March to 779, according to the Health Ministry’s daily bulletin.

The ministry said 95 of the total deaths were medically confirmed as measles infections. In the last 24 hours, health authorities also recorded 197 confirmed measles cases and 974 suspected infections. With those additions, confirmed cases have climbed past 14,000, while suspected cases have exceeded 115,000.

Three of the latest deaths were reported from the capital, Dhaka. Bangladesh, a country of 175 million people, has been struggling to contain the outbreak as infections continue to put pressure on the health system.

Dr Zahid Raihan, a senior health official, told Anadolu that many patients reach hospitals 10 to 15 days after becoming infected, making it difficult to confirm every case through medical testing.

He said many children died with pneumonia and malnutrition, meaning measles was not the sole cause in all cases but had worsened their condition.

According to the United Nations, Bangladesh had previously achieved herd immunity against measles but lost it in recent years because vaccine coverage fell. The Health Ministry says that since April 5, more than 18 million children have been vaccinated as part of the response.

Measles is a highly contagious viral illness that mainly affects children and can lead to serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death, particularly among children who are malnourished or have not been vaccinated. It remains one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable child deaths worldwide.