Newsletters
Bangladesh's Health Services Directorate General (DGHS) reports four more children have died with measles-like symptoms in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 712 since the outbreak began.
An additional 941 suspected cases were recorded during the same period, bringing the country's total to 99,207, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
Since April 10, a total of 82,844 people have been hospitalized with suspected measles. Of those, 79,152 have been discharged following treatment, the DGHS said.
Bangladesh, with a population of around 175 million, has faced difficulties rapidly confirming infections due to a shortage of testing kits.
The government started an emergency vaccination campaign on April 7 after a sharp increase in child deaths from measles. Since April 5, health officials have vaccinated more than 18.47 million children.
According to UNICEF's Dhaka office, years of low vaccine coverage, malnutrition among children and mothers, and low rates of exclusive breastfeeding have contributed to the outbreak and weakened children's immunity.
Measles is a very contagious virus that mostly affects children. It can lead to serious problems like pneumonia and brain inflammation, and it is especially dangerous for children who are malnourished or not vaccinated.
Measles is still one of the main causes of vaccine-preventable deaths around the world.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
