The numbers are stark. Over 300 children have died in a measles outbreak in Bangladesh, concentrated in the densely populated Rohingya refugee camps and impoverished districts of Cox’s Bazar. British aid agencies are now calling for immediate international action, but the outbreak is a glaring indicator of a system under strain. As a climate and science correspondent, I see this not as a standalone tragedy but as a symptom of a world failing to invest in basic public health infrastructure, a failure that climate change will only amplify.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease, but it is entirely vaccine-preventable. The vaccine is cheap, effective, and widely available. Yet the World Health Organization reports that global measles vaccination coverage has stagnated at around 86%, far below the 95% threshold needed to maintain herd immunity. In Bangladesh, disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the strain on health services from frequent climate disasters have created pockets of susceptible populations. The result: a disease that should be a relic of the past is now killing children at an alarming rate.
British aid agencies, including Save the Children and the Disasters Emergency Committee, have described the situation as ‘heartbreaking but predictable’. They are calling for a rapid vaccination campaign and greater funding for routine immunisation. But the outbreak also highlights a deeper issue: the connection between environmental stress and disease resurgence. Bangladesh is one of the most climate-vulnerable countries on Earth, facing cyclones, flooding, and sea level rise. These events displace communities, damage health infrastructure, and divert resources away from preventative care. The Rohingya refugees, already living in cramped, unsanitary conditions, are particularly at risk. Climate change is not just about rising temperatures; it is about the collapse of the systems that keep people alive.
From a scientific perspective, the mechanics are clear. Measles exploits gaps in herd immunity. When vaccination coverage drops, the virus spreads rapidly, especially among children under five who are most vulnerable to complications such as pneumonia and encephalitis. The fatality rate in low-income settings can be as high as 2-3%, a number that transforms a manageable disease into a mass killer. The current outbreak in Bangladesh, with over 5,000 confirmed cases and a case fatality rate of 6%, indicates severe malnutrition and lack of healthcare access. These are the conditions we will see more of as climate change disrupts food production and drives migration.
The British government has pledged £5 million towards the response, but aid agencies argue that this is a drop in the ocean. They point out that the United Kingdom has cut its overseas aid budget from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income, a decision that undermines long-term disease prevention. Meanwhile, COP28 has just concluded with pledges to address climate adaptation, but the gap between promises and funding remains vast. The measles outbreak is a live demonstration of what happens when that gap is left unaddressed.
There is a cognitive dissonance here. We accept that measles is a solved problem in high-income countries, yet we tacitly allow it to kill children elsewhere. The same logic applies to climate change: we know the physics, we have the technology to mitigate and adapt, but we lack the collective will to act. The children of Bangladesh are dying not because we don't know how to stop it, but because we have not prioritised the resources and systems to do so. This is a systems failure, not a scientific failure.
What can be done? The immediate need is for a surge in vaccination coverage in the affected areas. The long-term need is for a global health system that is resilient to climate shocks. That means investing in universal healthcare, strengthening supply chains for vaccines, and integrating climate adaptation into public health planning. It also means wealthy nations must honour their climate finance commitments, which currently remain unfulfilled. The British aid agencies are right to call for action, but that action must extend beyond emergency response to structural change.
As I write this, the death toll is still climbing. Each number is a child who could have been saved with a 50 pence vaccine. The physical reality of the world is that we are interconnected through travel, trade, and climate patterns. A measles outbreak in Bangladesh is not a distant crisis; it is a warning of what happens when we ignore the underlying conditions. The calm urgency I bring to this report is rooted in the data: we have the means to prevent such tragedies, but we lack the political will. The question is not whether we can act, but whether we will.
