Five more children died with measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to 8 am on Monday, raising the country’s total combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 938 this year.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) classified all five of the latest fatalities as suspected measles cases.

The update brings the total number of suspected measles deaths nationwide to 839 while laboratory-confirmed deaths remain at 99.

Health authorities recorded 1,149 new suspected measles cases during the same 24-hour window, pushing the cumulative nationwide total of suspected cases to 150,652.

Additionally, 83 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed infections across the country to 18,487.

According to official DGHS data, a total of 131,664 patients presenting with suspected measles symptoms have been hospitalized nationwide since March 15 this year.

Of those admitted, 126,921 patients have fully recovered and been discharged.