Daijiworld Media Network - Dhaka

Dhaka, Jul 5: Bangladesh's measles outbreak continues to worsen, with seven more children dying from confirmed or suspected measles-related illness in the past 24 hours, taking the total death toll this year to 738, according to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Health authorities classified all seven latest fatalities as suspected measles deaths. The cumulative toll now includes 645 suspected deaths and 93 laboratory-confirmed fatalities, local media reported.

The DGHS also reported 925 new suspected measles cases during the same period, pushing the nationwide total to 105,618 suspected infections in 2026.

In addition, 106 new laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded, taking the total number of confirmed measles infections to 12,632.

Since March 15, a total of 88,844 patients with suspected measles have been admitted to hospitals across the country. Of these, 85,122 have recovered, according to official figures.

The outbreak has continued to spread despite a nationwide vaccination campaign conducted in May that covered approximately 18.4 million children.

Public health experts have attributed the persistent rise in infections to gaps in vaccination coverage in several regions and inadequate infection prevention and control measures in both healthcare facilities and communities.

They have also warned that the ongoing dengue season could further increase health risks for children infected with measles, making them more vulnerable to severe complications.

Public health expert Mushtuq Husain said the outbreak remained difficult to contain because vaccination coverage had not reached the recommended 95 per cent threshold in all parts of the country.

He also pointed to inadequate implementation of infection control measures, noting that isolation and quarantine protocols had not been consistently followed despite being critical tools for containing outbreaks.

According to Husain, the vaccination campaign's targets were largely determined through office-based planning due to time constraints, which may have resulted in many eligible children being left out.

He called for a fresh nationwide immunisation drive targeting all children below the age of five, along with detailed house-to-house microplanning to improve vaccine coverage and curb the spread of the disease.