Muyabia Labony ; Dhaka – Bangladesh’s ongoing measles outbreak has claimed the lives of nine more children showing symptoms of the disease within the last 24 hours, official data revealed on Thursday (June 25).
The continuous spike in fatalities highlights a widening health crisis, with the total death toll since mid-March rapidly approaching 700.
According to the daily measles report released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), eight out of the nine fresh fatalities recorded across the country occurred within the Dhaka division alone.
Outbreak Statistics: Toll Continues to Climb
The DGHS comprehensive data tracking reveals a stark reality of the outbreak’s scale since it began surging on March 15:
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Total Fatalities: A total of 698 children have died so far. This includes 605 children who passed away with measles symptoms and 93 laboratory-confirmed measles deaths.
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Rising Infections: In the past 24 hours, 52 new cases were officially confirmed through laboratory testing, bringing the total number of confirmed measles cases nationwide to 11,442.
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Symptomatic Cases: An additional 893 children exhibited measles symptoms over the last day. This pushes the overall number of symptomatic suspected cases to 96,653 since March 15.
Hospitalization and Recovery Trends
The surge has placed a heavy burden on the country’s healthcare infrastructure. Since the middle of March, a staggering 80,497 children presenting measles symptoms have required hospitalization across various medical facilities.
On a positive note, healthcare workers have managed to treat and safely discharge 76,788 patients who successfully recovered from the illness.
However, thousands still remain under observation or are undergoing active treatment as hospitals continue to receive new admissions daily.
Medical experts emphasize that the heavy concentration of recent deaths in the Dhaka division demands immediate localized intervention, intensified immunization drives, and heightened public awareness to halt further transmission among young children.