Bangladesh measles outbreak nears grim toll of 1,000 child deaths

Bangladesh’s measles outbreak is nearing a grim milestone: at least 986 children have died since March, while suspected and confirmed cases have surpassed 180,000, according to the latest Health Ministry figures.

The epidemic has spread across the country, filling hospital wards with babies struggling to survive. At Dhaka’s Shishu Hospital, the cries of sick children mix with the hiss of oxygen machines. Rima Akter, 30, said a child died and was taken past her in a wheelchair just an hour earlier. “Today we saw two children die,” she told AFP on Thursday.

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A child died and they took him out in a wheelchair in front of us just an hour ago.

The current cases are concentrated among children aged six months to five years. Doctors say many arrive at hospitals in critical condition, while malnutrition further weakens their ability to fight the virus. Measles spreads easily through coughing and sneezing, and there is no specific treatment once someone contracts it. Complications can include brain inflammation and severe respiratory problems.

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Today we saw two children die.

Sanjana Islam Modina, 19, said she had been moving between hospitals since July to find suitable treatment for her six-month-old son, Ayan, who lay with an oxygen tube in his nose. “I have been going from one hospital to another since July so that my son can receive the proper treatment,” she said.

Bangladesh, a South Asian country of 170 million people, has begun a mass vaccination campaign to contain the outbreak. Yet diagnoses continue to rise, with more than 1,000 suspected cases reported daily.

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I have been going from one hospital to another since July so that my son can receive the proper treatment.