Three more children have died from suspected measles, taking the total death toll from the outbreak in Bangladesh to 631 since March….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Bangladesh’s worsening measles outbreak claimed three more children’s lives on Tuesday, taking the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths linked to the disease to 631 since mid March, according to health authorities.
Data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) showed that the latest fatalities were reported during the 24 hours leading up to Tuesday morning. All three deaths were classified as suspected measles related fatalities.
According to official figures, the number of confirmed measles deaths remains at 92, while suspected deaths have risen to 539, bringing the overall death toll to 631.
The outbreak continues to spread across the country, with health authorities recording 980 new suspected cases over the past 24 hours. This pushed the total number of suspected infections to 81,084 since March 15.
The DGHS also reported 54 additional laboratory confirmed cases, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 9,833.
The continuing surge in cases has raised concerns among public health experts despite government claims that vaccination coverage has exceeded 100 per cent of the targeted child population. Experts have questioned whether reported vaccination rates accurately reflect immunity levels among children and have warned of possible gaps in coverage.
More than a month after a nationwide emergency measles vaccination campaign concluded, hospitals across Bangladesh continue to admit more than 1,000 children daily with measles or measles like symptoms, according to local media reports.
Health specialists say the persistence of high infection rates suggests that many children may still be vulnerable to the disease.
Be-Nazir Ahmed, former director of the government’s disease control branch, said measles transmission should decline significantly when vaccination coverage exceeds 90 per cent.
“If vaccination has truly reached the reported level, then infections should have fallen much more sharply by now,” he was quoted as saying by local media.
Ahmed also cautioned that official targets may not always reflect the actual number of eligible children, meaning vaccination rates can appear high on paper while leaving large numbers of children unprotected.
The outbreak has also become a political issue. Last week, the Awami League accused the government of failing to adequately address the crisis and described the outbreak as a “man made failure of governance”.
The party alleged that decisions taken during the previous interim administration contributed to the current situation and criticised the government’s response as insufficient despite mounting fatalities.
The Awami League has called on authorities to declare a national public health emergency, accelerate vaccination efforts and ensure greater transparency in managing the outbreak as Bangladesh continues to battle one of its worst measles crises in recent years.
