Measles death toll climbs to 1,155 as 8 more die in 24 hrs

Bangladesh recorded eight more deaths among patients with measles symptoms and 1,086 new confirmed and suspected cases in the 24 hours to Saturday morning, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), as the outbreak continues to place the country’s healthcare system under considerable strain.

In its routine measles update issued on Saturday (October 10), the DGHS reported that five of the latest fatalities occurred in Dhaka Division, while Chattogram, Sylhet and Mymensingh divisions each recorded one death. Notably, no deaths from laboratory-confirmed measles were registered between 8am on Friday and 8am on Saturday. During the same period, 131 new cases were confirmed, bringing the national tally to 22,328, whereas another 955 people developed symptoms suspected to be measles, pushing the cumulative number of suspected cases to 203,848.

Since March 15, the combined death toll from confirmed measles and suspected cases or related complications has reached 1,155. Of these, 104 deaths were attributed to confirmed measles, while the remaining 1,051 occurred among patients treated for suspected measles or associated complications. Moreover, a total of 180,945 patients suspected of having the disease have been admitted to government and specialised hospitals nationwide since that date, and 173,454 of them have recovered sufficiently to return home, the DGHS said.

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Given that children account for a substantial proportion of those affected, healthcare facilities across the country have heightened their vigilance and stepped up medical services in an effort to contain the outbreak. Nevertheless, the sheer volume of daily infections suggests that the pressure on hospitals is unlikely to abate in the immediate future, and the continued toll among suspected cases underscores the gravity of the crisis.