Bangladesh: Measles outbreak claims three more lives, death toll rises to 994
Dhaka, Sep 6 (IANS) As many as three children died due to measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours until 8 am on Sunday, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected measles-related fatalities to 994 in 2026, local media reported.
The latest deaths were classified as suspected measles fatalities, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). With the latest fatalities, the total number of suspected measles fatalities in Bangladesh has risen to 894, while confirmed deaths from measles remain unchanged at 100, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
During the 24-hour period, the DGHS recorded 1,043 new suspected measles cases in Bangladesh, raising the total number of suspected cases in the country to 164,148. During the same period, 55 new confirmed measles cases were reported in Bangladesh, taking the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the country to 19,696.
As many as 144,168 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals in Bangladesh since March 15. Among them, 138,772 patients have recovered from measles, according to the DGHS, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
On September 4, Bangladesh’s Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said that a measles vaccination campaign will be launched towards the end of the month. While speaking to reporters after inspecting Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College Hospital, Husain said that vaccine supplies have been ensured, Bangladesh-based Dhaka Tribune reported.
As Bangladesh continues to witness a sharp increase in measles cases, a leading international advocacy group recently described the 2026 outbreak as one of the country’s worst public health crises in recent history, highlighting the concern that the disease is preventable through vaccination.
In its report titled ‘Preventable Tragedy: Bangladesh’s 2026 Measles Outbreak’, Canada-based Global Centre for Democratic Governance (GCDG) said that although the measles outbreak appeared sudden to the public, it was not an unexpected event from an “epidemiological perspective”.
The report noted that the crisis resulted from a combination of disruptions to vaccine supply and health programs in 2024-2025 during the former interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, along with missed routine vaccinations, cancellations of scheduled supplementary immunisation programmes, administrative delays in vaccine procurement, and a failure to promptly identify at-risk populations.
According to GCDG, Bangladesh had long procured World Health Organisation (WHO)-approved vaccines through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s international supply chain; however, the interim government replaced this system with an open tender procurement process. Citing UNICEF, the report said the agency repeatedly warned the interim government of a potential vaccine shortage through five to six formal letters and around 10 meetings held between 2024 and 2026.
Referring to Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) data reported by Bangladeshi daily Samakal, the GCDG noted that measles vaccination coverage fell to 56.2 per cent in 2025, the lowest level recorded between 2017 and 2025.
It added that WHO later identified the nationwide stock-out of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine in Bangladesh during 2024-2025 and the lack of regular vaccination as the main contributors to the decline in immunity among children and the 2026 outbreak.
–IANS
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