Overview
- Health department figures reported Saturday show 512 suspected and confirmed child deaths, 62,507 suspected measles cases and 8,494 laboratory-confirmed infections since March 15.
- Hospitals in Dhaka have set up dedicated wards and are short of intensive care beds as many children arrive critically ill with respiratory and other complications.
- The government has expanded emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaigns, deployed rapid response teams and increased vitamin A distribution, and UNICEF says about 18 million children have been reached.
- The World Health Organization and UNICEF say falling routine immunisation after the 2024 uprising left large numbers of children unprotected, and measles requires roughly 95% two-dose coverage to stop large outbreaks.
- Health officials warn that measurable protection from the emergency campaign will take weeks to months, leaving hospitals strained and raising risks of wider harms such as increased antibiotic use and missed care for other illnesses.