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Measles outbreak kills over 500 children in Bangladesh amid overwhelmed hospitals
🇯🇲 Jamaica /Health & Science

Measles outbreak kills over 500 children in Bangladesh amid overwhelmed hospitals

From Jamaica Observer · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Ongoing story
  • A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has resulted in the deaths of over 500 children, marking the country's most severe surge in decades.
  • Hospitals in Dhaka are overwhelmed, facing shortages of intensive care beds amid a rising death toll.
  • Bangladesh has launched a mass vaccination drive, but UNICEF warns that immunization gaps, exacerbated by past political instability, have left many children vulnerable.

Bangladesh is grappling with its deadliest measles outbreak in decades, as a surge in cases has claimed the lives of more than 500 children. Government data released Saturday revealed the grim toll, with hospitals in the capital, Dhaka, struggling to cope. Dedicated wards have been established, but a critical shortage of intensive care beds hampers efforts to save young lives.

In the 24 hours preceding the report, 13 children died, bringing the total fatalities since March 15 to 512. Health officials are working to combat the outbreak through a mass vaccination campaign that has reportedly reached 18 million children. However, UNICEF country chief Rana Flowers cautioned that the full effects of these vaccinations will take months to materialize.

Though measles is highly contagious, a healthy baby with no complications can survive with minimal medication. Here, most children came to the hospital with respiratory distress and infections in the eyes, throat and lungs.

— Ainul Islam KhanA pediatrician at Dhaka’s Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, describing the severity of cases arriving at the hospital.

UNICEF attributes the widespread vulnerability to significant gaps in immunization coverage. These gaps were reportedly worsened by the political instability and chaos following a 2024 uprising that led to the toppling of the country's autocratic government. This left a large segment of the child population unprotected against the highly contagious disease.

Measles, which spreads easily through respiratory droplets, has no specific treatment once contracted and can lead to severe complications such as brain swelling and respiratory failure. Health workers note that the most severely affected children are often malnourished and come from low-income families, many of whom missed routine vaccinations or had weakened immune systems due to poor nutrition. While the government has claimed the outbreak is now contained in some areas, doctors report that many children arriving at hospitals are already critically ill, often presenting with secondary infections.

the campaign has now reached 18 million children.

— Rana FlowersUNICEF country chief, highlighting the scale of the vaccination drive.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jamaica Observer in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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