The country logged its highest single-day death toll from measles and measles-like symptoms, with 17 child deaths reported in the 24 hours till 8:00am yesterday.
Previously, the highest single‑day death toll was recorded on April 5, when 12 patients died.
Of the 17 deaths, two were confirmed measles cases while 15 were suspected, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Of these 15 suspected cases, two children died at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in the 24 hours till 8:00am Sunday. As it was reported yesterday, the deaths were added to the latest toll, the DGHS clarified.
With these figures, the total number of deaths from measles and measles-like symptoms since March 15 has risen to 311.
The country saw relatively fewer deaths from confirmed and suspected cases in the week after April 26, averaging between one and seven a day. The number then rose sharply to 10 on Sunday and 17 yesterday.
The grim development comes as a nationwide measles-rubella vaccination drive is on to curb the spread of the highly contagious disease, which has led to a surge in child deaths in recent weeks.
According to health experts, measles, coupled with underlying illnesses and malnutrition, is causing the deaths of children. They noted that the number of deaths is expected to decline as cases begin to fall, likely in late May or early June.
City hospitals are still struggling with the rise in measles patients, mostly children, many of whom are being referred from district and upazila health facilities. Amid this situation, many guardians have complained of a shortage of ICU facilities.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said 86 percent of targeted children have already been vaccinated, and he hoped for a let-up in the surge in four to five days.
The two confirmed measles deaths yesterday were reported from Dhaka and Chattogram divisions, the DGHS said, raising the total number of confirmed deaths to 52.
The 15 suspected measles deaths that were recorded during the period brought the total number of suspected deaths to 259.
Of the latest deaths, 11 were reported from the Dhaka division and four from the Chattogram division.
During the same period, 154 new confirmed cases were reported, raising the tally of confirmed cases to 5,467.
Additionally, the DGHS recorded 1,302 new suspected cases, bringing the total number of suspected cases to 41,793.
WHAT EXPERTS SAY
Mirza Md Ziaul Islam, head of the paediatrics department at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, said, “Most of the children who come here have multiple health problems. Their immunity is already low, and when they are infected with measles, their condition deteriorates fast.”
Many of the measles patients have heart or kidney complications, while a large number of children are suffering from severe malnutrition or pneumonia, he told The Daily Star yesterday.
Despite a reported drop in measles cases in some upazilas, the Shishu hospital continues to receive a growing number of patients in critical condition, and as of yesterday, there were 89 measles patients admitted to the hospital, he added.
Replying to a question, he said the infection rate will gradually decline as the nationwide vaccination campaign continues, and as infections decrease, the number of deaths will also fall.
Fazle Rabbi Chowdhury, associate professor of internal medicine at Bangladesh Medical University, said a review of the measles deaths shows that many of the victims were unvaccinated, severely malnourished, and had comorbidities.
The situation might not have arisen if the scheduled special campaign in 2024 had been carried out on time to bring unvaccinated children under coverage and allow their immunity to develop.
He said children require at least four weeks to develop immunity after vaccination, and therefore the infection rate is expected to decline in late May or early June.
Several other experts also predicted that the infection rate would come down in late May.
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said no new measles cases have been reported from 30 high‑burden upazilas where the vaccination drive began on April 5.
He told journalists at a city hotel programme that infection rates in the four city corporations have also dropped following the April 12 rollout.
On April 20, the nationwide measles vaccination campaign got underway.
The minister said it takes about three weeks for antibodies to develop. “We have not yet reached that period, and it will take another four to five days before the current surge begins to decline,” he added.
Asked about the ICU shortage hampering the treatment of critical measles patients, the health minister acknowledged the matter. “Within these constraints, ICU facilities have been expanded not only in Dhaka but also outside -- such as in Manikganj -- while the ICU capacity in Rajshahi has been increased.”
