Dhaka, Sep 20 (IANS) As Bangladesh grapples with an unprecedented measles outbreak, four more children have died due to measles-like symptoms in the past 24 hours till 8 am (local time), taking the total number of confirmed and suspected measles fatalities to 1,057 in 2026.
The four fatalities are suspected measles deaths, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). After the latest fatalities, the total number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 956, while confirmed deaths from measles stood at 101, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.
As many as 1,148 new suspected measles cases were reported in 24 hours, bringing the total number of suspected cases in Bangladesh to 179,814. Bangladesh reported 88 new confirmed measles cases, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to 20,562.
According to the DGHS, 158,589 patients with measles-like symptoms have been hospitalised in Bangladesh since March 15. Of those hospitalised in Bangladesh, 152,225 have recovered, the DGHS said, as UNB 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 identify at-risk populations promptly.
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.
–IANS
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