11 more die from measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh as death toll crosses 250

Bangladesh reported 11 more deaths linked to measles-like symptoms over the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of fatalities to 251 since mid-March, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.

Of the total deaths recorded since the Directorate General of Health Services began keeping records, 42 were confirmed measles fatalities.

The government is facing a shortage of measles testing kits, making it difficult to medically confirm infections.

The total number of suspected infections rose to 30,607, alongside 4,460 confirmed measles cases since March 15, the health directorate said in its news bulletin.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told parliament this week that his government was working to address the measles outbreak through a special vaccination campaign and measures to manage testing kit shortages.

The Health Ministry launched a special vaccination campaign on April 5 and has vaccinated more than 1 million children.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children and can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death, particularly among malnourished or unvaccinated children. It remains a leading cause of vaccine-preventable child mortality globally.

Bangladesh has reported infections in 58 of its 64 districts – 91% – indicating “widespread transmission nationally,” the World Health Organization said in an assessment on Thursday.

Before this outbreak, Bangladesh had made substantial progress toward measles elimination.

However, the current situation emerged due to recent declines in vaccination coverage, particularly because of a nationwide vaccine stockout between 2024 and 2025, according to the WHO.