Muyabia Labony , Dhaka— Bangladesh is facing a severe outbreak of measles, with the total number of confirmed cases and symptomatic patients crossing the grim milestone of 100,000 this year.
According to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Thursday morning, a total of 100,677 children have been affected by the contagious disease.
The DGHS statistics reveal that since official tracking began on March 15, measles has been laboratory-confirmed in 10,773 children, while an additional 89,904 children have exhibited clear symptoms of the disease.
In the 24 hours leading up to Thursday morning, 139 new cases were confirmed, and 1,009 children were newly identified with symptoms.
The outbreak has claimed 666 lives across the country so far this year. Among them, 93 deaths were strictly confirmed as measles-related, while 573 children died after exhibiting severe symptoms. In the last 24 hours alone, 5 children passed away due to measles-related symptoms.
DGHS Official Statistics at a Glance:
-
Confirmed Cases: 10,773 children
-
Symptomatic Patients: 89,904 children
-
Total Hospital Admissions: 74,184 children (70,503 recovered and discharged)
-
Total Deaths (Confirmed & Symptomatic): 666 children
-
Recent 24-Hour Deaths: 5 children (symptomatic)
Government data further reveals that the Dhaka division is the hardest-hit region, accounting for nearly half of the total fatalities with 297 deaths.
This is followed by Rajshahi with 89 deaths, Sylhet with 75, Chittagong with 58, Barisal with 57, Mymensingh with 55, Khulna with 27, and Rangpur recording the lowest at 8 deaths.
Public health records indicate that the prevalence of measles began rising at the start of the year, transforming into a nationwide surge toward the end of February.
Prompted by the rapid spread, the DGHS commenced rigorous statistical monitoring and data preservation on March 15 to help coordinate emergency healthcare interventions.