MYMENSINGH — Bangladesh has recorded more than 120,000 suspected and confirmed measles cases since mid-March, prompting an emergency vaccination campaign. Nearly 750 people have died from measles in the four months prior to the report, including both confirmed and suspected cases.

Bangladesh is currently recording nearly 1,000 suspected measles cases per day on average. Baby Arafat died from complications related to measles, and 10-month-old Maliha died from measles complications after being unable to obtain an ICU bed. The government and UNICEF launched an emergency vaccination campaign in April in certain regions. The campaign has inoculated more than 18.4 million children.

Miguel Mateos Muñoz, a UNICEF spokesperson in Bangladesh, attributed the surge in cases to several factors, including delays in vaccine orders, the COVID-19 pandemic affecting routine vaccinations, a lack of regular measles-rubella mass vaccination campaigns since 2020, overcrowding, and travel during the Eid holidays. "We were worried about possible [vaccine] gaps increasing, and it unfolding into what we're now seeing," Muñoz said.

Public health expert Mushtuq Husain stated that the government is not acknowledging the situation as an epidemic. "It is still a grave situation," Husain said. "It is unacceptable that every day children are dying, and thousands of people are being infected."

Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain acknowledged the strain on the health system. "The accommodation facilities are comparatively low, but we have managed," Hossain said. Bangladesh had made substantial progress towards eliminating measles until March of the reporting year, according to the World Health Organisation. Vaccination rates in Bangladesh had been higher than 90% until recently. The Medical College Hospital ward in Mymensingh, which has 32 rooms, was reportedly holding nearly 130 patients.

Why It Matters

The current measles outbreak in Bangladesh marks a reversal of progress the country had made towards measles elimination, with vaccination rates previously exceeding 90%. The rapid increase in cases and associated deaths has prompted a multi-agency emergency vaccination campaign, which has inoculated over 18.4 million children. The severity of the outbreak has strained healthcare facilities, exemplified by the Medical College Hospital ward managing a high patient load, and has led to concerns from public health experts regarding the official characterization of the situation.