THE allegations that have come up against the Directorate General of Health Services for under-reporting measles deaths and infections are worrying on a couple of counts. Firstly, the under-reporting of measles cases weakens the government’s mitigation steps. Secondly, the under-reporting of the cases keeps people in the dark about the gravity of the outbreak of the disease, taking a great toll on children. The Directorate General of Health Services has until May 9 reported 352 deaths from the disease or with symptoms of measles and 54,635 cases of infection since it started keeping count on March 15. Whilst laboratory tests have confirmed 61 of the deaths caused by the disease, tests have confirmed 6,979 cases of infection. The remaining cases, of death or infection, are put down to the symptoms of measles. Health experts, however, view that the actual number of deaths caused by the disease or cases of infection could be higher than the official figures as a mismatch has been detected between the central count and the count at the divisional or hospital level. The authorities have reported no measles death in the Rangpur division, but local hospital and administrative records show at least four such deaths.
A similar mismatch has been detected in the case of the Barisal division, with the central count putting the confirmed measles deaths in the region at 9 and suspected measles deaths at 12 whilst local health offices have recorded three deaths with confirmed measles and 28 deaths with suspected measles. Local authorities in Mymensingh have reported 27 deaths from measles at Mymensingh Medical College Hospital whilst the official statistics claim three deaths with confirmed or suspected measles. The official record claims 39 confirmed and 911 suspected measles cases in Mymensingh, but local authorities have documented 112 cases of confirmed infection and 1,874 cases of suspected infection. Public health experts allege that the Directorate General of Health Services has under-reported the cases of death and infection to minimise public criticism of the DGHS handling of the outbreak. Experts say that public agencies often tend to hide their failures by withholding information, which only worsens public health crises. The measles infection, which was first detected in Cox’s Bazar early this year, only came to the spotlight after media had reported the infection and consequent deaths in Rajshahi. Health managers, who acknowledge the mismatch, say that this has been due to systemic weakness in data collection.
If it was a denial, it would constitute a crime. If it was systemic, it would suggest that the government has yet to establish a reliable, effective reporting mechanism, which was encountered when Covid-19 broke out in 2020. The government must fix the problem if it means to deal effectively with public health crises.
