Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The death toll from Bangladesh’s ongoing measles outbreak has crossed 1,000, as the neighbouring country continues to battle its worst outbreak of the disease in decades, health authorities said on Wednesday.
According to Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), 100 deaths have been linked to confirmed measles cases since March 15, while 902 people have died after showing measles-like symptoms, taking the combined toll to 1,002.
The country has so far reported 19,904 confirmed measles cases and over 1.67 lakh suspected cases. More than 1.41 lakh patients have recovered.
In the latest 24-hour period, authorities recorded three deaths among suspected cases and 1,119 new suspected infections. Sixty-nine new measles cases were also confirmed.
Health officials have attributed the continued spread to gaps in vaccination coverage, incomplete immunisation, malnutrition and inadequate herd immunity, despite a nationwide vaccination drive.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that spreads through coughing and sneezing and can cause serious complications, particularly among young children.