Toll hits 512 as 13 more children die

The total number of deaths from measles and measles-like symptoms has reached 512 with 13 more children dying in 24 hours until Saturday 8:0am, said the health authorities.
Of the total deaths since mid-March, 86 were confirmed measles cases, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) bulletin. Of the total confirmed and suspected deaths, 214 were reported in Dhaka.
Over 1,020 suspected and confirmed infections were recorded in the past 24 hours. The total suspected infections rose to 62,507 and confirmed infections to 8,494 since mid-March, said DGHS.
In response to the measles outbreak rapidly spreading across the country, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has conducted an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign, targeting children aged 6 months to 5 years, since April 5. The government has already vaccinated 18.43 million children since April and will continue the immunisation programme until no one is left, said the health ministry.
Bangladesh had made substantial progress towards measles elimination before this outbreak.
However, nationwide stockout of vaccine for 2024-2025 caused an increase in the number of susceptible children and contributed to the current outbreak, said WHO.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, which affects individuals of all ages and remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally. It is usually a mild or moderately severe disease.
However, measles can lead to complications such as pneumonia, diarrhea, secondary ear infection, inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), blindness, and death.
As Bangladesh continues to face a rising number of measles cases, access to timely and quality treatment is critical, especially for children with severe complications.
The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), with support from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) through the Disaster Response Emergency Fund (IFRC-DREF), in close coordination with Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) handed over essential medical supplies and equipment to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
They handed over the equipment formally to the health minister at the secretariat on Saturday. Those included 11 paediatric ventilators, 100,000 units of normal saline for symptomatic and dehydration treatment, 27 nebulizers and 27 oxygen flow meters.
The health ministry already distributed the equipment to 12 hospitals across the country, including in the city.
These lifesaving supplies will help strengthen hospital capacity, improve patient care, and support frontline health workers caring for the most vulnerable, said BDRCS.
nsrafsanju@gmail.com