Bangladeshi officials said on Wednesday (April 1) that a measles outbreak has resulted in 15 deaths in the country. The government is preparing to launch an emergency immunization campaign to contain the spread of the epidemic.
Health Ministry official Kamruzzaman Chowdhury stated that with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), laboratory tests confirmed the link between measles infection and the 15 reported deaths.
“In the tested samples, 15 deaths were directly related to measles infection,” he said.
Measles is one of the most contagious pathogens. Apart from Bangladesh, measles outbreaks have occurred in other regions globally, with pediatric wards in some areas already overwhelmed.
The Bangladeshi government plans to initiate emergency immunization activities nationwide starting from Sunday, focusing first on high-risk areas.
The outbreak is most severe in the Rajshahi region in the northwest, where the local health department has intensified monitoring and case tracking.
The Directorate General of Health Services stated that children who are not vaccinated or have not completed the two doses of measles vaccine are at the greatest risk, with malnourished children particularly prone to serious complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis.
The Directorate General of Health Services urged parents to ensure timely routine vaccinations for their children and seek medical attention immediately if symptoms such as fever, cough, red eyes, or rashes appear.