Bangladesh measles outbreak kills over 220 children since March

Since March, 227 children have died of measles in Bangladesh in one of the worst outbreaks in years, with suspected cases touching almost 35,000, government figures revealed on Wednesday.

One of the severely affected regions is Kurukpata in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, inhabited by the Indigenous population, which borders the strife-torn country of Myanmar.

In the rural regions, children are not included in vaccination campaigns, and some parents refrain from taking their children to vaccination drives because of fear.

"Chittagong Hill tract's most affected area is Kurukpata, which is one of the remotest parts of Bangladesh," district health authority Sheikh Fazle Rabbi told AFP, adding that more than 80 children were treated for measles.

Kurukpata local council chairman Kratpung Mro said that the numbers were extraordinarily high.

"The communication in Kurukpata is tough," Kratpung said. "The people are mostly farmers and are the poorest in the area, and they can't even pay for boat or motorcycle transport to get to the hospital."

Kratpung Mro added that the government should conduct awareness campaigns and include Indigenous populations in vaccination drives.