Bangladesh has surpassed the thousands of deaths associated with the measles outbreak that started last March, with 1,046 deaths recorded between confirmed cases and patients with symptoms compatible with the disease, according to the latest official data.
© Lusa
18/09/2026
by
Lusa
Dthe total number of deaths, 100 had confirmed measles and another 946 had symptoms compatible with the disease, according to the latest update of the Directorate-General for Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh.
The country also accumulates 20,343 confirmed cases in laboratory and 176,480 suspected since the outbreak began.
In the last 24 hours, health authorities have notified 1,282 new suspected cases, 61 confirmed and two probable deaths, both in the Chittagong division, one of the most affected areas.
Public health experts previously consulted by the Spanish news agency EFE attributed the size of the outbreak to gaps accumulated during years in infant vaccination, which left a significant part of children without sufficient protection against the disease.
The World Health Organization (WHO) had already warned in April that the outbreak occurred in the context of insufficient population immunity and widespread transmission in most of the country.
The organisation then stressed that the recent decreases in vaccination coverage associated with a national shortage of measles and rubella vaccine between 2024 and 2025 and the absence of regular national supplementary campaigns since 2020 had increased the number of children susceptible to the disease.
In view of the outbreak, Bangladesh launched in April a national campaign to immunise measles and rubella aimed at some 18 million children.
The WHO reported in May that more than 18 million had been vaccinated and that the campaign had covered almost the entire target population.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that is transmitted through air or through respiratory droplets and can cause serious complications, especially among young children.