Bangladesh Suspects Measles Killed 98 Children In Three Weeks

[Abdulwahid]

Bangladesh has reported that measles is suspected to have killed at least 98 children in the past three weeks, according to official health data released on Sunday. The government in Dhaka is now increasing vaccination efforts in the areas most affected by the disease to control the spread and protect more children from infection.

Last week, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman ordered two senior government ministers to travel across the country to assess how serious the measles outbreak is. The aim of this visit is to understand the situation better and help the government plan a strong and coordinated response to stop the disease from spreading further across the nation of about 170 million people.

Health ministry data shows that the number of children aged between six months and five years with suspected measles symptoms has risen sharply to 6,476 cases. Officials say this is a worrying increase compared to previous years, as both the number of infected children and deaths are higher than normal.

Halimur Rashid, director of Communicable Disease Control, explained that the situation is worse than before and may be caused by several factors, including a shortage of vaccines. According to World Health Organization data, the highest number of suspected measles cases was recorded in 2005 with 25,934 cases, but the number had reduced over the years until this recent increase.

So far, 826 measles cases have been officially confirmed, with 16 confirmed deaths. However, health experts believe the real number may be higher because many children are not tested, and some die before medical tests can be carried out to confirm the disease.

Measles is one of the most contagious diseases in the world and spreads easily through coughing and sneezing. Although it can affect people of all ages, children are the most vulnerable and can suffer serious complications such as brain swelling, breathing problems, and even death if not treated quickly or prevented through vaccination.

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