Measles surge in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is racing to contain a fast-growing measles outbreak that has spread across most of the country and killed scores of children. (who.int) The World Health Organization said on April 15 that Bangladesh had reported 18,219 suspected cases, 2,897 laboratory-confirmed cases and 164 suspected deaths as of April 14, with transmission in 58 of 64 districts. UNICEF’s April 8 situation report had counted 9,883 suspected cases and 128 suspected deaths as of April 7, showing how quickly the outbreak accelerated in one week. (who.int, reliefweb.int) Dhaka launched an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign on April 5 with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The first phase targets more than 1.2 million children ages 6 months to 5 years in 30 upazilas across 18 high-risk districts, with expansion to four city corporations from April 12 and a nationwide phase from May 3. (unicef.org, who.int) Measles is one of the most contagious human viruses, and outbreaks grow fast when routine childhood vaccination leaves gaps. WHO said the Bangladesh surge is linked to immunity gaps over the past two years, while UNICEF said many of the sickest children were too young to be fully protected or had missed doses. (bdrcs.org, unicef.org) Young children account for most infections. UNICEF reported that children under 5 made up 81% of cases as of April 7, including 34% in infants younger than 9 months, an age group not yet eligible for routine measles vaccination. (unicef.org) The outbreak has also exposed pressure on Bangladesh’s health system outside the capital. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the highest-risk areas include Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh and Rajshahi, and Bangladesh activated its public health emergency operations system and sent rapid response teams into hotspot districts. (go.ifrc.org, bdrcs.org) This wave built quickly after the first 2026 case was detected on January 4 in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, according to The BMJ. Cases then surged through March, turning what had been a relatively low-count disease in 2025 into a nationwide emergency within weeks. (bmj.com) The next test is speed: Bangladesh’s campaign is now moving from high-risk districts into cities and then nationwide, while case counts and suspected deaths are still rising week by week. (who.int, unicef.org)