Bangladeshi authorities are urgently investigating a measles outbreak believed to have caused nearly 100 child deaths, with officials beginning vaccination efforts in the hardest-hit areas.
On Sunday, 5 Apr 2024 GMT+7, Bangladeshi officials revealed suspicions of a measles outbreak possibly responsible for 98 child deaths over the past three weeks, while the government is rushing to vaccinate the worst-affected regions.
Last week, Prime Minister Tarik Rahman ordered two senior ministers to travel nationwide to assess the crisis scale and help coordinate the response.
Data from the Ministry of Health released on Sunday showed a sharp rise to 6,476 suspected measles cases among children aged 6 months to 5 years.
“Compared to previous years, the number of affected children is higher, and the death toll is also elevated,” Halimur Rashid, director of the Disease Control Center, told AFP, referring to suspected cases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the year with the highest suspected measles cases in Bangladesh was 2005, with 25,934 suspected infections. However, those figures had significantly declined until this year’s recent surge.
Rashid stated that the possible causes of this outbreak include “multiple factors, including vaccine shortages.”
Currently, 826 measles cases have been confirmed in Bangladesh, with 16 confirmed deaths. Experts say many cases go untested or patients die before diagnosis.
WHO states measles is one of the most contagious diseases worldwide, spreading through coughing and sneezing. While it can affect all ages, it most commonly occurs in children and can lead to complications like brain swelling and severe respiratory issues.
According to the latest WHO statistics, measles causes an estimated 95,000 deaths annually worldwide, mostly among unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated children under five. There is no specific cure once infected.
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Source:cna