Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Jun 12: Bangladesh's worsening measles outbreak claimed another young life on Friday, pushing the combined number of confirmed and suspected deaths linked to the disease to 643 since March 15, according to health authorities.

Data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) showed that one additional child died in the 24 hours ending Friday morning. The latest fatality has been classified as a suspected measles death pending confirmation.

While the number of laboratory-confirmed deaths remains at 92, suspected fatalities have risen to 551, underscoring the scale of the public health emergency.

The outbreak continues to spread rapidly across the country. Health officials recorded 1,027 new suspected cases over the past day, taking the total number of suspected infections to 84,266. During the same period, 126 fresh confirmed cases were reported, raising the overall tally of verified infections to 10,185.

The sustained rise in cases has sparked concerns among public health experts, particularly as the outbreak persists despite government claims that measles vaccination coverage has exceeded 100 per cent of the targeted population.

More than a month after a nationwide emergency immunisation campaign concluded, hospitals across Bangladesh continue to receive over 1,000 children daily with measles or measles-like symptoms, according to local reports.

Health specialists have questioned whether reported vaccination figures accurately reflect real-world immunity levels. Experts note that high coverage on paper does not necessarily guarantee protection if children fail to develop adequate immunity or if sections of the eligible population remain unvaccinated.

Former disease control official Be-Nazir Ahmed said measles transmission would normally decline sharply once vaccination coverage crosses 90 per cent. He suggested that discrepancies in population estimates and gaps in outreach could mean that many vulnerable children remain outside the immunisation net despite official statistics indicating otherwise.

The outbreak has also triggered political reactions. Last week, the Awami League criticised the handling of the health crisis, describing it as a governance failure rather than a natural public health emergency. The party alleged that policy decisions taken during the previous interim administration contributed to the current situation and accused the present government of failing to effectively contain the spread of the disease.

With infections and fatalities continuing to climb, health authorities are under increasing pressure to identify gaps in the vaccination programme and strengthen measures to curb one of the country's most serious disease outbreaks in recent years.