Bangladesh measles deaths surpass 1,000 after vaccination drive falls short
Bangladesh faces its worst measles outbreak, killing 1,002 children and infecting nearly 190,000 since March.
At least 1,002 children have died from measles in Bangladesh, according to the country’s health officials, amid the world’s worst ongoing outbreak.
On Wednesday, health officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) also reported 187,484 measles infections since the outbreak began in March.
Measles is a highly contagious disease that causes fever and a distinct rash, and has no specific treatment when caught. Severe cases can cause brain swelling and breathing problems.
“To my knowledge, Bangladesh has never witnessed so many children dying from measles. Nor have we ever seen such a high number of patients in a single year. This is a truly terrible situation, and the saddest part is that the victims are children,” he said.