Bangladesh measles outbreak nears 1,000 child deaths

Bangladesh's measles outbreak has killed at least 986 children since March and pushed suspected and confirmed cases above 180,000, the health ministry says, as hospitals treat many sick babies and young children.

The country has started a mass vaccination drive, but more than 1,000 suspected cases are still being reported each day. Most cases in the current outbreak have been among children aged six months to five years.

Measles spreads through coughs and sneezes and has no specific treatment once caught. Complications can include brain swelling and severe breathing problems, with young children especially vulnerable.

At Dhaka's Shishu Hospital, 101 children are admitted with suspected or confirmed measles. Parents described children needing oxygen after pneumonia, bronchitis or malnutrition left them weaker.

SM Ziauddin Hyder, special assistant to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for health, called the outbreak "devastating" and said many children had missed vaccine doses. A measles drive planned for 2024 was delayed by the uprising that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, and workers' strikes and political instability delayed a 2025 campaign.

Mahmudur Rahman, an epidemiologist and former director of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research, said Bangladesh should consider a broader vaccination campaign. He also said public awareness, isolation of infected children, handwashing and mask use by caregivers were important.