Bangladesh says suspected measles outbreak kills about 100 children
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Most Bangladeshi children receive a vaccine at nine months, although many of those infected in the recent outbreak were only six months old.
PHOTO: REUTERS
DHAKA – Bangladesh said it suspected measles killed at least 98 children in the past three weeks, official data showed on April 5, with Dhaka ramping up vaccination efforts in the worst-affected areas.
Last week, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed two senior ministers to travel across the South Asian nation of 170 million people to assess the scale of the crisis and help coordinate a response.
Health Ministry data released on April 5 showed that the number of children aged between six months and five years with suspected measles symptoms soared to 6,476.
“Compared with past years, the number of affected children is higher, and the death toll is higher too,” Dr Halimur Rashid, director at the Communicable Disease Control, told AFP, referring to the number of suspected cases.
The largest number of suspected cases on record was in 2005 at 25,934, according to World Health Organization (WHO) data, though that number had significantly declined until this year.
Dr Rashid attributed the potential outbreak to “multifactorial causes, including a shortage of vaccines”.
Confirmed measles cases among this demographic stand at 826, with only 16 deaths, with experts noting that in many instances, testing is either not done or patients die before it can be performed.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, according to the WHO, and is transmitted when a person coughs or sneezes.
While the disease can affect a person of any age, it is most common among children and can cause complications, including brain swelling and severe breathing problems.
Bangladesh has made significant advancements in vaccinations to tackle infectious diseases, but a measles drive due in June 2024 was delayed by a deadly uprising that same year, which toppled the autocratic government of Ms Sheikh Hasina.
Most Bangladeshi children receive a vaccine at nine months, although many of those infected in the recent outbreak were only six months old, officials added.
Dr Mahmudur Rahman, chief of the National Verification Committee for Measles and Rubella, said that “we committed to reducing the number to zero by December 2025 but failed to achieve the target due to poor vaccination programmes”.
Dhaka has identified 30 of the most affected areas in the region and has started a vaccination programme.
Health Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bakul said the vaccination drive will cover the “worst-affected areas” before being expanded to other regions.
Dr Tajul Islam A Bari, a former official at the Expanded Programme on Immunisation – a global health initiative – and a public health expert, told AFP that although funds had been allocated for vaccine purchases, the authorities had failed to procure them.
“Now we see the result, the situation is scary,” Dr Bari added.
The WHO estimates that as many as 95,000 measles deaths occur globally each year, mostly among unvaccinated or under-vaccinated children younger than five, according to its latest statistics.
There is no specific treatment for measles once it is contracted. AFP
