Pneumonia remains the leading cause of death among children under five in Bangladesh even during the ongoing measles outbreak, experts said today.

Saying that the country witnesses around 24,000 pneumonia-related child deaths annually -- over 60 a day -- they made four recommendations to the government to tackle the crisis.

The observations came at a joint press conference today organised by the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh at the Abu Sayed International Convention Centre on Dhaka’s Minto Road.

Presenting the keynote address, Dr Ziaul Huq, a senior consultant at Evercare Hospital, said 54,419 children had been infected with measles or similar symptoms in the past two months, claiming the lives of 439.

To tackle the situation, he proposed four measures: continuing the ongoing measles vaccination drive on a priority basis, setting up "fever corners" at district and upazila health complexes for quick screening, distributing World Health Organization approved treatment guidelines among all health workers, and raising nationwide mass awareness.

He noted that gaps in the vaccination programme over the past two years led to the current outbreak.

Prof Dr Ruhul Amin, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation, said although the media reports seven to eight measles-related deaths daily, the number of children dying from pneumonia is much higher.

"Although 95 to 99 percent of measles patients recover within seven to 10 days, many of the remaining five percent develop severe complications like pneumonia, diarrhoea, and brain infections," he added.

He blamed malnutrition, reliance on packaged milk instead of breast milk, and irregular vitamin A campaigns for the high mortality rate.

Renowned paediatrician Prof Abid Hossain Mollah explained that measles weakens the immune system, paving the way for fatal bacterial pneumonia. He noted that the exclusive breastfeeding rate has dropped to 56 percent, leaving even infants under nine months vulnerable.

Bangladesh Lung Foundation Secretary General Prof Dr Asif Mujtaba Mahmud expressed deep concern over antibiotic resistance, warning that self-medication is severely hindering effective treatments.

The physicians urged parents to ensure regular vaccinations, administer vitamin A, and seek immediate hospital care if children show symptoms like breathing difficulties or turning blue.

Chest and Heart Association Secretary General Dr Golam Sarwar Bidyut moderated the event.