DHAKA, Jun 4: Bangladesh’s measles outbreak continued to worsen, with the death toll from confirmed and suspected cases rising to 601 after seven more children died in the 24 hours ending Thursday morning, according to health authorities.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said the latest fatalities were classified as suspected measles deaths, taking the number of suspected deaths to 511, while confirmed measles deaths remained at 90.
The DGHS reported 1,210 new suspected measles cases during the same period, while laboratory tests confirmed 55 additional infections. Since the outbreak intensified in mid-March, Bangladesh has recorded 74,572 suspected cases and 9,191 laboratory-confirmed infections.
Health officials said more than 60,000 suspected patients have been hospitalised since March 15, with 55,942 recovering and being discharged after treatment.
Public health expert Dr. M. Mushtuq Husain warned that reliance on hospital and intensive care treatment alone would not significantly reduce fatalities. He stressed the need for early isolation of patients, timely oxygen support and improved nutritional care.
Husain also expressed concern that infection rates have not shown a sustained decline despite two months of vaccination efforts, calling for targeted door-to-door immunisation campaigns to reach children who missed vaccinations.
The outbreak has become one of Bangladesh’s worst public health crises in recent years, with health experts warning that gaps in vaccination coverage and delayed immunisation efforts have contributed to the rapid spread of the disease. (Agencies)
