Bangladesh Reports 1,147 Measles Deaths This Year as Outbreak Spreads

Bangladesh is facing the world's most severe measles outbreak this year, according to a new report. The outbreak, which began in mid-March, has been linked to failures in routine vaccination programmes. More than 202,000 suspected cases have been reported so far, with 1,147 deaths recorded.

According to a report by The Japan Times, citing World Health Organization (WHO) data, Bangladesh has recorded more suspected measles cases this year than any other country.

Most Deaths Reported Among Children Under Five

WHO data show that laboratory tests have confirmed 22,000 of the total suspected cases. Children under the age of five account for 94 per cent of the recorded deaths.

The report highlights that Bangladesh's experience demonstrates the challenges of controlling an outbreak when vaccination coverage falls below 95 per cent. According to WHO, 95 per cent vaccination coverage is necessary to prevent such outbreaks.

Bangladesh had come close to achieving this target in recent years, but vaccination coverage declined in 2025.

Gaps in Vaccination Data Worsened the Crisis

Experts say the crisis has become more severe because of gaps in vaccination coverage, poor-quality data and failures to reach people who need immunisation.

The number of people recorded as vaccinated exceeded the target by more than 100 per cent, indicating possible errors in counting vaccine doses or calculating target populations. UNICEF and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics found that 40 per cent of children had not been registered, while government figures showed that nearly one-third of healthcare worker positions were vacant.

Documents from WHO, along with interviews with scientists, healthcare workers and officials, indicated that inaccurate data also weakened Bangladesh's ability to respond to emergencies, leaving millions of children without vaccination.

Vaccination Coverage Below the 95% Target

WHO and UNICEF estimated that first-dose measles vaccination coverage in Bangladesh's northeastern Sylhet region fell to 90 per cent in 2025, while second-dose coverage stood at 86 per cent.

Both figures are well below the 95 per cent threshold considered necessary for herd immunity.

Experts Call for Wider Vaccination Campaign

Health experts have urged the government to expand its vaccination campaign to include children older than five years, as this age group accounts for one-third of all measles cases.