Bangladesh deaths and campaign phase
Bangladesh reports 179 children have died this year from confirmed and suspected measles cases, even as authorities say the outbreak is 'under control.' Outbreak News Today adds that the second phase of the country’s vaccination campaign is starting in Barishal City Corporation and Dhaka (tbsnews.net) (outbreaknewstoday.substack.com).
Bangladesh says its measles outbreak is “under control” after 179 children died this year from confirmed and suspected cases. (tbsnews.net) Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain made that statement on April 12. Directorate General of Health Services data cited by The Business Standard said 2,639 measles cases were laboratory-confirmed between March 15 and April 12. (tbsnews.net) The vaccination response is now moving into its next phase in cities. The Business Standard reported the campaign began April 12 in Dhaka North, Dhaka South, Mymensingh and Barishal city corporations, with a wider national rollout scheduled for April 20. (tbsnews.net) Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through coughing and sneezing, and children with low immunity are most at risk. UNICEF said the emergency measles-rubella campaign is targeting more than 1.2 million children ages 6 months to 5 years across 30 upazilas in 18 high-risk districts before expanding into city corporation areas. (unicef.org) The scale of the outbreak grew quickly in early April. A UNICEF situation report dated April 8 said Bangladesh had recorded 9,883 suspected cases as of April 7, with 81% of cases in children under 5 and suspected measles-related deaths reported in 56 of the country’s 64 districts. (reliefweb.int) International agencies say the outbreak followed gaps in routine immunization and delayed follow-up campaigns. The World Health Organization said the emergency drive started April 5, expanded to four city corporations from April 12, and is set to go nationwide from May 3. (who.int) Coverage problems had been visible before the current surge. The BMJ reported Bangladesh recorded 125 measles cases in all of 2025, but the 2026 outbreak accelerated after the first case was detected on January 4 in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar and then spread sharply through March. (bmj.com) For now, officials are trying to hold two lines at once: reassure the public that transmission is being contained and vaccinate children fast enough to stop more deaths. The next test is whether the city phase that began April 12 and the broader rollout planned this month can push case numbers down. (tbsnews.net)
