THE Eid travel risks a surge in the already critical and highly contagious measles outbreak. As millions of people are headed for outlying areas to celebrate Eid, health experts warn that the viral disease, which has infected more than 72,000 people and killed about 528 children, may spread further. The sharp rise in the test positivity rate, from 54 per cent in early April to more than 61 per cent in mid-May, points to a worsening public health emergency. The latest figures show the alarming scale of the crisis. The National Polio and Measles Laboratory of the Institute of Public Health, the only World Health Organization-accredited laboratory in Bangladesh, found 907 positive cases after testing 1,483 samples sent from around 800 healthcare facilities in the past week alone. Yet, even the numbers are likely to understate the true extent of the outbreak because there is a lack of sufficient testing kits and laboratory capacity. Officials admit that only selected samples are tested because of the shortage of reagents. In reality, the disease may have spread far wider than what official figures suggest. The Eid travel now threatens to accelerate the transmission.
Measles is among the most contagious viral diseases and crowded buses, ferries and trains create ideal conditions for infection. Children under five remain particularly vulnerable, especially those who are malnourished or inadequately vaccinated. While there may be no practical scope for restricting movement during Eid, the authorities need to urgently intensify public awareness campaigns. Parents should be encouraged to maintain preventive measures such as mask-wearing in crowded spaces, proper hygiene and prompt medical attention whenever symptoms such as fever, cough and rash show. The immediate challenge, however, extends beyond public awareness. The absence of effective isolation facilities and infection-control measures in healthcare institutions reflects weaknesses in the health system that demands urgent correction. The outbreak also raises troubling questions about immunisation coverage. Public health experts have repeatedly stressed that at least 95 per cent coverage with two doses of the measles vaccine is necessary to stop transmission. Yet, despite the ongoing nationwide vaccination drive, experts believe many children still remain outside the coverage because of gaps in immunisation micro-planning and outreach. This outbreak should serve as a stark warning against complacency in the health sector. The resurgence of measles on such a devastating scale shows how quickly the situation can worsen when routine immunisation, nutrition programmes and disease surveillance weaken.
The authorities must, therefore, take the immediate measures of raising awareness and treatment capacity and continue the emergency vaccination campaign and Vitamin A supplementation. They must also thoroughly investigate why immunisation gaps emerged in the first place. Preventable diseases should never again be allowed to exact such a tragic toll on the children.
