Bangladesh on Monday recorded its highest single-day toll since the start of a major health crisis, with 17 deaths attributed to measles and similar symptoms within a 24-hour period ending at 8 am.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), two of these fatalities were confirmed as measles-related, while the remaining 15 were classified as suspected cases.
The majority of these suspected deaths occurred in Dhaka district, which reported 10 fatalities.
This latest surge brings the national total to 52 confirmed and 259 suspected deaths since the outbreak of the highly contagious but preventable disease began on March 15.
The scale of the outbreak continues to grow, with 1,302 new suspected cases recorded in the last 24 hours alone, pushing the total number of suspected infections to 41,793 over the past seven weeks.
During the same period, 154 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the cumulative total of laboratory-confirmed infections to 5,467.
Hospitalization rates also remain high; since mid-March, a total of 28,832 suspected measles patients have required hospital care, though health officials noted a significant recovery rate, with 25,151 patients having been discharged so far.
Amidst the rising figures, the Health Minister recently commented on the ongoing immunization efforts, stating, "Over 81% children vaccinated against measles," highlighting the government's push to contain the spread.
Despite the vaccination coverage, the DGHS remains on high alert as the daily case counts and mortality rates reach record levels.
Health experts continue to emphasize that measles is a preventable disease and are urging parents to ensure their children receive the necessary doses to curb the current trajectory of the outbreak.
