Measles deaths in Bangladesh pass 1,300 as 5 more children die in a day

Deaths from measles and measles-like illness in Bangladesh have passed 1,300. According to the latest figures from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 5 more children died with measles symptoms in the 24 hours to 8am on Friday (13 November), taking the total since 15 March to 1,304.

In the same period, 1,271 new symptomatic patients were recorded across the country, and 148 of them tested positive for measles. The outbreak has now been running for about 8 months since mid-March.

The numbers

DGHS figures from 15 March to 8am on 13 November:

• Total deaths: 1,304
• Deaths with symptoms: 1,199
• Deaths among test-confirmed patients: 105
• Total symptomatic patients: 245,562
• Confirmed by test: 25,028
• Admitted to hospital: 219,247
• Recovered and discharged: 210,401

The count is based mainly on patients who come to or are admitted to hospitals. Not every patient is tested, so the true number of confirmed cases is hard to know, as bdnews24.com noted. Patients treated at home and deaths outside hospitals are not included.

Looking at the totals, an average of around 5 people a day, most of them children, have died with measles or its symptoms since mid-March. New daily cases are still above 1,000 in November, which means transmission has not stopped.

Why it spread so widely

In an outbreak report published in April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said a large share of cases were children who had not been vaccinated against measles or had received only one dose. By WHO's count, about 91 percent of patients were aged between 1 and 14. Many infants were infected before reaching 9 months, the usual age for the first dose.

WHO pointed to gaps in routine immunisation and the absence of nationwide measles-rubella campaigns for several years as major factors. Other reports on the outbreak have also described the immunisation programme becoming irregular.

Timeline

• January 2026: According to WHO, cases began rising from the start of the year.
• 15 March: DGHS began keeping a separate count of measles cases and deaths.
• 5 April: An emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign for children aged 6 to 59 months began in high-risk areas, later expanding nationwide.
• 13 November: Total deaths crossed 1,300, reaching 1,304.

What parents need to know

Symptoms: According to WHO and UNICEF, high fever, runny nose, cough, red and watery eyes and tiny white spots inside the mouth appear 10 to 14 days after infection. A rash then starts on the face and neck and spreads across the body.

How it spreads: Measles spreads very quickly through the air, by coughing and sneezing. A patient can infect others even before the rash appears.

Complications: Pneumonia, diarrhoea, ear infections, brain inflammation, blindness and even death.

What to do: If a child shows symptoms, see a doctor without delay and keep the child away from other children. UNICEF says doctors give vitamin A to children with measles, which reduces the risk of eye damage and death.

Vaccination: Vaccination is the most effective protection against measles. Under the EPI schedule, 2 doses of the measles-rubella vaccine are given, at 9 months and 15 months. If your child has missed a dose, contact the nearest vaccination centre or health worker.

What happens next

DGHS is publishing daily measles updates. As long as new daily cases stay above 1,000, the risk of more deaths remains. WHO has advised raising two-dose vaccine coverage to at least 95 percent in every area, which is what is needed to bring the outbreak under lasting control.