Bangladesh measles crisis kills 300+ children

Bangladesh is dealing with a bad measles outbreak, the worst one in a long time. Hospitals are filled with thousands of children and health workers are trying to stop the disease from spreading fast.

According to official government data and reports from international health agencies, at least 336 children have died since March 15. There have been than 50,000 measles cases with most of them being children between six months and five years old.

Health experts say gaps in vaccination coverage during and after the political unrest that toppled the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in 2024 left millions of children vulnerable to infection. A nationwide measles vaccination drive scheduled for last year was delayed amid the turmoil.

The government with help from the World Health Organization and UNICEF started a vaccination program on April 5. They say 17 million children have gotten the vaccine so far, but not enough kids are protected from the disease yet.

Doctors are warning that measles is very easy to catch and can cause problems like trouble breathing, brain swelling and even death in children. Hospitals in Dhaka are still taking care of a lot of sick kids many of whom need help in breathing and need intensive care.

Officials say Bangladesh recorded its highest daily death toll from measles on May 4, when 17 children died within 24 hours.

Meanwhile, to tackle further cases of measles, army in Bangladesh has established a temporary field hospital at Dhaka Medical College Hospital.