Bangladesh is battling a severe measles outbreak that has killed nearly 1,000 people so far this year, with children making up a large share of those affected.
According to the country’s Directorate General of Health Services, the suspected measles death toll had reached 999 by Tuesday. Since March, Bangladesh has recorded more than 166,000 suspected cases, including nearly 19,835 laboratory-confirmed infections, according to the Ministry of Health.
The outbreak began escalating sharply in March, when more than 100 children reportedly died within less than a month. The government has since launched an emergency vaccination campaign with support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the Gavi vaccine alliance.
The campaign initially focused on children between six months and five years of age before being expanded nationwide in phases.
Measles is a highly contagious airborne disease that can cause high fever, respiratory problems and a characteristic rash. Severe complications can include pneumonia, diarrhoea and encephalitis, particularly among young children.
Health experts say vaccination gaps are a major reason behind the outbreak. Bangladesh had previously made significant progress in controlling measles, recording only around 100 to 300 cases annually between 2021 and 2025, compared with 2,410 cases in 2020.
However, routine immunisation programmes were disrupted during the COVID-19 pandemic. A nationwide vaccination campaign scheduled for 2024 was also largely missed, leaving many children without adequate protection.
Doctors say children who missed vaccinations during 2021 and 2022 are now particularly vulnerable. Some vaccination centres also reportedly faced shortages during the period of political and administrative disruption.
At Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in Dhaka, doctors have been treating measles patients continuously for months. Specialist Atiqul Islam said the situation has improved but remains serious, with many infected children arriving with complications.
The outbreak has also triggered a political blame game. Bangladesh’s current government has blamed earlier administrations for failures in vaccination planning and coverage. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is living in exile in India, has in turn blamed the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Health authorities are continuing emergency vaccination efforts as hospitals struggle to manage the large number of sick children. WHO guidance says around 95% vaccination coverage is needed to stop measles from spreading effectively, protecting both vaccinated people and those who are too young or unable to receive vaccines.
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