More than 1,000 children have died from a measles outbreak in Bangladesh since March, health authorities have said.
The Directorate General of Health Services disclosed on Wednesday that 1,002 children had died while 187,484 infections had been recorded across the country.
The outbreak is reportedly the deadliest measles outbreak Bangladesh has experienced in decades.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
While there is no specific treatment for measles, the disease can lead to serious complications, including brain swelling and severe breathing difficulties.
Young children are particularly vulnerable to severe complications from the disease, although measles can affect people of all ages.
Despite a nationwide vaccination campaign launched to contain the outbreak, infections have continued to spread.
A spokesperson for the Directorate General of Health Services, Zahid Raihan, said more than 18 million children had so far been vaccinated, while health workers were still trying to reach children who were missed during the campaign.
However, Raihan acknowledged that the vaccination drive failed to achieve herd immunity, with about four million children reportedly left unvaccinated.
He said the government would continue with the vaccination campaign, stressing that the immediate goal was to reduce deaths from the disease.
“Measles cannot be eradicated and the aim was to reduce casualties. We will keep vaccinating our children,” Raihan said.
The health official also identified chronic malnutrition among children as another major challenge in the fight against the outbreak, noting that poor nutrition could worsen the impact of measles.
The outbreak has further strained Bangladesh’s healthcare system, which is also battling a surge in dengue infections.
According to Raihan, some hospitals originally designed to accommodate about 50 dengue patients are now treating as many as 500.
Health department figures showed that nine people died from dengue on Tuesday, while 1,571 patients were admitted to hospitals.
Since January, Bangladesh has recorded 45,475 dengue cases and 130 deaths.
The country recorded its highest annual number of dengue infections in 2023, with 321,017 cases.
Bangladesh Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, is expected to launch a three-month nationwide campaign to tackle the rising dengue cases on Saturday.
