Bangladesh reports 229 new measles cases in a day as deaths rise to 42 since March

More than 1,000 have been admitted to hospitals around the country in a day, health authorities say

Bangladesh has recorded 229 new measles cases in the past 24 hours, while 11 more people died with symptoms of the disease.

Confirmed measles deaths since Mar 15 have risen to 42, while suspected cases with measles-like symptoms have claimed 209 lives in total, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) said in its regular bulletin on Saturday.

It said 1,058 people with measles symptoms were admitted to hospitals in the past 24 hours, of whom 770 required hospitalisation.

Dhaka recorded the highest number of admissions at 368, while Rangpur reported the lowest with just four patients.

Since Mar 15, a total of 30,607 suspected measles cases have been reported nationwide, of which 4,460 have been confirmed.

Divisionally, Dhaka recorded the highest number of suspected measles-related deaths at 97, followed by 67 in the Rajshahi.

Meanwhile, a nationwide vaccination campaign targeting 18 million children began on Apr 20.

As of Thursday, 6.26 million children across eight divisions had received vaccines.

In addition, 1.07 million children in 12 city corporations have been vaccinated under the initiative.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified Bangladesh as being at “high risk” for measles, citing concerns over continued spread and public health impact.

In a report assessing the situation, WHO pointed to ongoing transmission across multiple divisions, gaps in immunity, and repeated deaths linked to measles-like symptoms.

It also noted that a significant number of infected individuals were unvaccinated, while others had received only partial doses.

The organisation further highlighted vaccine shortages in previous fiscal years and irregular nationwide supplementary immunisation campaigns over the past five to six years as key risk factors contributing to the outbreak.