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Bangladesh is facing its deadliest measles outbreak in decades, with more than 1,000 deaths reported as hospitals struggle to treat thousands of sick children.
Mariyam Adheela
A woman comforts her child receiving treatment for measles at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh -- Photo: AP/Mahmud Hossain Opu)
Dhaka: More than 1,000 people have died in Bangladesh in a rapidly spreading measles outbreak, leaving families across the country grieving while hospitals struggle with a growing number of patients.
The Directorate General of Health Services reported 1,002 deaths from measles and measles like symptoms as of Saturday morning. More than 5,500 patients were still receiving treatment in hospitals, according to local reports.
The outbreak began in March and has affected children most severely. More than 166,000 suspected cases have been reported, including nearly 20,000 confirmed infections, according to recent reports.
Health experts have linked the crisis to major gaps in routine vaccination. Measles vaccination coverage fell from 93 percent in 2024 to 86 percent in 2025, leaving many children without adequate protection.
The disruption of vaccination programs during the COVID 19 pandemic and political instability later weakened the country’s immunization system. UNICEF had also warned about shortages and disruptions affecting measles vaccination before the outbreak worsened.
Bangladesh has launched emergency vaccination campaigns with support from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and Gavi. The campaign has reached millions of children, but health officials and experts say more work is needed to close the remaining vaccination gaps.
For families who have lost children, however, the statistics represent a deeply personal tragedy. Thousands of parents have spent days beside hospital beds as their children struggled with complications including pneumonia and other severe illnesses.
The outbreak has also placed a heavy financial burden on families, with some forced to borrow money or sell assets to cover medical costs. Hospitals continue to face overcrowding as they treat measles patients alongside a growing dengue outbreak.
Health experts say restoring routine immunization and reaching children who missed vaccines will be critical to preventing further deaths from a disease that can largely be prevented through vaccination.
