Measles by the numbers: 317 children lost to a preventable disease
At least 317 people have died in a measles outbreak in Bangladesh since mid-March, with health experts warning that fatalities are likely to continue climbing for several more weeks before an emergency vaccination drive begins to take effect.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Half of all deaths — both suspected and confirmed — have been recorded in Dhaka division, followed by Rajshahi, according to government data compiled by the Directorate General of Health Services. Officials attribute the capital's disproportionate toll partly to referral patterns, as critically ill patients are routinely transferred from district and upazila-level hospitals to Dhaka's overstretched facilities.
The crisis first drew national attention after the death of an eight-month-old at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in the capital — an institution without an intensive care unit. Cases and fatalities accelerated sharply from mid-March.
The government launched an emergency measles and rubella vaccination programme on April 5, beginning in 30 high-burden upazilas before expanding to four city corporations and eventually the rest of the country. As of May 4, the campaign had reached 16.1 million children, or 89 percent of its 18 million target.
Health experts cautioned, however, that immunity takes three to four weeks to develop after vaccination, meaning a meaningful decline in deaths and new cases is not expected before late May or early June.
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