A devastating surge in measles cases is sweeping through Bangladesh, with hundreds of children perishing from a wholly preventable disease. The outbreak, concentrated in under-vaccinated communities, has prompted a rapid response from British medical charities who warn that the situation mirrors a broader global backsliding in immunisation coverage.
Data from the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health and Family Welfare indicates over 1,500 confirmed cases in the past three months, a 400 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The true figure is likely far higher, given limited surveillance in rural areas. Mortality estimates remain fluid but charities on the ground report upwards of 200 child deaths, with the under-five age group bearing the brunt.
Dr. Fatima Rahman, a paediatric epidemiologist with Save the Children in Dhaka, described overwhelmed hospital wards. 'We are seeing children presenting late, often with severe pneumonia or encephalitis. The health system, already strained by other endemic diseases, is buckling under this surge.'
The root cause is clear: a drop in routine measles vaccination rates. Bangladesh had achieved over 90 per cent coverage for the first dose of the measles-rubella vaccine prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent estimates from the World Health Organization suggest that figure has fallen to around 75 per cent, with some districts below 50 per cent. Disruptions to supply chains, vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation, and a devastating monsoon season that displaced thousands have created a perfect storm.
British charities, including Médecins Sans Frontières UK and the UK Committee for UNICEF, have mobilised emergency teams. They are deploying mobile vaccination clinics, training local health workers in cold chain management, and launching community awareness campaigns. 'Measles is a highly infectious airborne pathogen. To stop transmission, we need at least 95 per cent population immunity,' said Dr. James Henderson, a field coordinator with MSF. 'We are racing against time as the virus exploits every unvaccinated pocket.'
The outbreak is not an isolated tragedy. Globally, measles cases rose 18 per cent in 2022 and an estimated 128,000 people died, mostly children under five. The pandemic set back vaccination programmes by a decade in some regions. In Bangladesh, the crisis is compounded by widespread malnutrition, which weakens immune systems and increases the likelihood of severe outcomes.
'This is a system failure,' Dr. Rahman stated plainly. 'We knew the risks. The tools exist. The question is political will and sustained investment.'
The British government has pledged £5 million in emergency aid, primarily for vaccine procurement and logistics. But aid workers stress that long-term strengthening of primary healthcare infrastructure is essential. 'You cannot firefight your way out of a measles outbreak,' Dr. Henderson added. 'You need routine immunisation, robust surveillance, and a population that trusts science.'
As the monsoon season recedes, the window for intervention narrows. Modelling by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine suggests that without immediate action, the outbreak could infect over 10,000 children in the next six months. 'Each death is a life lost to a disease we conquered decades ago,' Dr. Rahman concluded. 'That is the cruel irony.'
The world is watching. But for the families in Bangladesh's poorest districts, the clock ticks with calm urgency.
