Bangladesh measles death toll climbs to 873 amid widening outbreak

Surging infections

Bangladesh's Directorate General of Health Service reported on Sunday that six additional children have succumbed to measles-like symptoms, raising total fatalities to 873 as authorities recorded over 1,000 new infections across the densely populated South Asian nation within a single day. The DGHS noted that 988 suspected cases and 75 laboratory-confirmed infections emerged in the past 24 hours, bringing cumulative totals to 136,320 suspected and 17,115 confirmed cases since the outbreak was formally recognized in April.

Of the total fatalities, 98 children have died since mid-March this year, according to health ministry data. Bangladesh — a South Asian nation of approximately 175 million people — has struggled to contain the outbreak since April and has become the country most affected by measles worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

Vaccination campaign

The WHO said Bangladesh had previously achieved herd immunity against measles but lost that protection in recent years because of declining vaccination coverage. The Health Ministry has administered vaccines to more than 18.48 million children since launching a nationwide immunization drive on April 5, officials said.

Health authorities continue to battle the surge amid warnings that falling immunization rates have left vulnerable populations exposed to preventable disease. The outbreak has strained medical facilities across the country as workers attempt to reach millions of unvaccinated minors in both urban centers and rural districts.