Dhaka, May 24 (IANS) A total of 16 more children have died from measles-like symptoms in Bangladesh in the 24 hours till 8 a.m. on Sunday, raising the death toll since March 15 to 528, local media reported.

With the latest fatalities, Bangladesh reported the second highest single-death death toll for the second straight day, United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

On Saturday, Bangladesh reported 13 fatalities from measles and similar symptoms.

All the 16 new deaths were classified as suspected measles-related, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

With the latest fatalities, the total number of suspected measles-related deaths has increased to 442, while the confirmed deaths stood at 86.

As many as 1,306 suspected measles cases were reported in Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of suspected measles cases to 63,813, according to the DGHS. During the same period, 128 new confirmed measles cases were reported, raising the total number of confirmed infections to 8,622.

Since March 15, 50,558 suspected measles patients have been admitted to hospitals. Among them, 46,214 patients have recovered, UNB reported.

On May 20, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) said that it had repeatedly warned the country’s earlier interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, both through written communication and meetings with Health Ministry officials, about vaccine shortages that could trigger a major health crisis.

Addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, Rana Flowers, said that the UN agency sent five to six letters to the health authorities on the issue and raised the matter in 10 meetings during the tenure of the interim government, Bangladesh’s The Daily Star reported.

“From 2024, we were warning the government that the shortage of vaccines could lead to an outbreak. From 2024 to 2025 into 2026, we sent letters, and we had 10 different meetings signalling this was a problem and that orders for vaccines needed to be given. They could not,” she added.

According to Flowers, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban raised concerns over vaccine shortage at a meeting with the Foreign Ministry during his visit to Bangladesh in August last year.

She added that the UN agency would provide evidence to assist the investigation launched by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led government on the measles outbreak.

–IANS

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