Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka
Dhaka, Jun 16: Bangladesh's worsening measles outbreak claimed another child's life on Tuesday, pushing the combined number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 657 since March 15, according to official figures.
Data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) showed that the latest fatality was recorded during the 24-hour period ending Tuesday morning and has been classified as a suspected measles death.
According to local media reports, the number of confirmed deaths remains at 93, while suspected deaths have risen to 564.
The outbreak continues to spread rapidly across the country. Health authorities reported 1,006 new suspected cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total number of suspected infections to 87,929.
In addition, 136 fresh confirmed cases were recorded, raising the cumulative number of confirmed infections to 10,523.
On Monday, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina criticised the previous interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, accusing it of disrupting the country's vaccination programme while attempting to introduce a new vaccine procurement system.
In a statement shared through the social media account of the Bangladesh Awami League, Hasina alleged that administrative failures had allowed the outbreak to escalate into an epidemic.
“Driven by vested interests, the illegitimate interim government disrupted the vaccination programme while trying to implement a new vaccine procurement system. The incompetence and negligence of the current government have now allowed this disease to spread on an epidemic scale,” she said.
She further claimed that hundreds of thousands of children in 61 districts have been affected and alleged that the actual number of deaths could be significantly higher than official figures.
“This is not an accident; it is an administrative failure that has cost lives,” she said.
Last month, the United Nations Children's Fund revealed that it had repeatedly warned Bangladesh’s previous interim government about looming vaccine shortages that could trigger a major public health emergency.
During a press briefing in Dhaka, Rana Flowers said the agency had sent five to six formal communications and raised the issue during 10 separate meetings with health officials.
“Beginning in 2024, we repeatedly alerted authorities that vaccine shortages could lead to an outbreak. Between 2024 and 2026, we sent multiple letters and held numerous meetings stressing the need for urgent vaccine procurement, but the necessary orders were not placed,” Flowers said.
Health experts have warned that unless vaccination coverage improves rapidly, the outbreak could continue to spread, putting thousands more children at risk across the country.