Published : 03 Apr 2026, 07:32 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:33 PM
A shortage of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) facilities and the absence of coordinated data on infections are complicating efforts to tackle a growing measles outbreak in Bangladesh.
At the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, Mohammad Sharif from Tongi was rushing anxiously between wards seeking critical care for his 3-month-old son, only known as Ayan, who has been diagnosed with measles.
“The baby is in a bad condition. We have admitted him here for now, but are searching for an ICU bed elsewhere,” Sharif told bdnews24.com.
With a sudden surge in infections, children from across the country are being brought to the Mohakhali hospital.
With no ICU beds available and general wards overcrowded, many patients are being treated on the floor.
Authorities are admitting patients after informing families about the situation.
Visits to the hospital on Tuesday and Wednesday showed long queues of children with their caregivers, while doctors and nurses struggled to cope with the pressure.
Measles cases began appearing in hospitals across the country in January, but the outbreak escalated sharply in March before Eid-ul-Fitr.
Most of the victims are children, and more than 50 have already died after contracting the disease or showing symptoms in different districts.
Shahjahan Nazir, an associate professor at Cox’s Bazar Medical College’s Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, said most patients now coming in with symptoms are under nine months old.
“In Bangladesh, the measles vaccine is administered after nine months, as maternal antibodies are expected to protect infants until then. But that is no longer proving effective,” he said.
He added that while most patients are children, adult infections are also being reported. “We are seeing two to three adult cases daily and have opened a separate ward for them.”
Patients who have been vaccinated are experiencing milder symptoms, he noted.
Khulna Divisional Health Director Mujibur Rahman said ensuring routine immunisation is critical to controlling the outbreak.
“Regular vaccination is the only way to prevent the spread of measles. However, our biggest challenge at the moment is the shortage of NICU facilities,” he said.
“Major hospitals in the southern region, including Khulna Medical College Hospital, still lack NICU support. We are trying to introduce NICU facilities at least in major districts so that critical patients can receive proper care,” he added.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through coughing, sneezing and airborne transmission.
Symptoms usually appear 10 to 14 days after exposure, starting with high fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes and small white spots inside the mouth, followed by a rash that spreads across the body.
If left untreated, complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, ear infections and severe dehydration may occur.
Chattogram Civil Surgeon Dr Jahangir Alam advised seeking medical attention immediately if symptoms such as fever, cough, rash or eye inflammation appear.
“There is no specific treatment for measles. Doctors provide medication to ease symptoms, but timely MMR vaccination remains the most effective prevention,” he said.
Hospitals Overwhelmed
Thirteen-month-old Habiba, from Madaripur’s Shibchar, has been admitted to the fourth-floor ward of the Infectious Diseases Hospital for a week.
Her father Habibur Sheikh told bdnews24.com on Tuesday that she is suffering from both measles and chickenpox.
While her condition is improving, Habibur, an expatriate, was unsure if she had received her vaccinations.
"I was abroad; I heard one dose was missed, but I don't know which one," he said.
Nine-month-old Minhaj, whose father Mohammad Sujon works in a garment factory, has been receiving treatment on the hospital floor for three days.
"We couldn't get a bed. At first, we thought it was just a regular fever, but his condition worsened," Sujon said.
Similarly, Morsheda Akhtar brought her 11-month-old child from Mirpur-2 after what initially looked like a heat rash spread across the infant's body.
"We didn't realise it was measles at first," she said while administering a nebuliser to her child.
Tanjina Jahan, the acting superintendent of the hospital, confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that 84 patients were admitted with measles or related symptoms.
Regarding the lack of beds, she explained: "Although this is a 100-bed facility, we also treat patients with HIV, rabies, and other diseases. Only 11 beds are specifically designated for this unit, so we are forced to treat patients on the floor."
No Integrated Data
Health officials are currently unable to provide a specific figure for the total number of measles patients hospitalised across the country.
Repeated attempts to secure comprehensive data from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Tuesday and Wednesday yielded conflicting information or referrals to other departments.
Ahmed Al Mamun, director of the DGHS management information system, admitted on Wednesday afternoon that a consolidated national figure does not yet exist.
"An official spokesperson will be appointed to provide these figures formally," he said.
However, Md Halimur Rashid, director of the Disease Control branch, told bdnews24.com that 684 measles cases have been confirmed nationwide between January and Wednesday.
"This figure only accounts for laboratory-confirmed cases," he clarified.
"Data on those showing symptoms or suspected cases is still being collected from hospitals and is not yet available."
Outbreak Spreads Across Districts
The outbreak has spread nationwide, with daily reports of new infections and fatalities from different districts.
According to the Dhaka divisional health office, 103 cases were confirmed between January and Thursday, while another 636 patients were treated for symptoms.
In the last 24 hours alone, 115 people sought treatment for suspected measles, and one death was recorded, bringing the division's total suspected fatalities this year to four.
In Chattogram, 206 patients have shown symptoms since Mar 29, with five deaths reported.
In Khulna, 52 children were undergoing treatment for symptoms as of Thursday morning.
Meanwhile, Mymensingh Medical College Hospital has admitted 172 children with symptoms since Mar 17; five children died at the facility in March alone.
The situation is particularly acute in Rajshahi, where Rajshahi Medical College Hospital spokesperson Shankar Kumar Biswas reported 340 admissions with measles symptoms since the start of March.
He noted that due to a lack of rapid testing facilities, all such patients are currently classified as "suspected".
Shahida Yasmin, head of the hospital's paediatric department, confirmed that 29 patients died in March after presenting with measles symptoms or confirmed infections.
In Barishal, 385 people have sought treatment for symptoms this year, with 63 confirmed cases.
To date, the division has recorded four confirmed measles deaths and five additional deaths among those with symptoms.
Vaccination Gaps Drive Surge
Medical experts noted that infants under one year old, particularly those aged six to nine months, are the most affected in the current outbreak.
Children who have not completed their two-dose vaccination schedule or have weakened immunity are at the highest risk.
Public health expert Lelin Chowdhury attributed the spike to gaps in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).
"The outbreak peak usually occurs between February and April, but the current intensity is likely due to decreased participation in immunisation, particularly disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic," he told bdnews24.com.
He emphasised that a single dose is insufficient for full protection.
"The first dose must be administered at nine months and the second at 15 months. Many parents forget the second dose, leaving children without the necessary immunity." Lelin advised isolating infected children, ensuring they receive plenty of fluids and Vitamin A, and monitoring for complications like pneumonia or diarrhoea.
Mass Vaccination from Sunday
In response to the rising cases, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain announced that a nationwide measles vaccination campaign will begin this Sunday.
To support the drive, the leave of all field-level health workers has been cancelled starting Thursday.
The minister confirmed that 9 million doses of the vaccine have already been collected.
"Once syringes are secured, the vaccines will be dispatched to every upazila, prioritising those with the highest infection rates," he said.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is also collaborating with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease and Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) to curb the outbreak and reduce pneumonia-related child fatalities.
As part of this effort, icddr,b has proposed the use of Bubble CPAP technology -- an innovative, low-cost solution highly effective in treating respiratory complications in infants.
[This report was compiled with information from our Chattogram office and correspondents in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, and Mymensingh]
