Dhaka, June 7 (IANS) As many as seven Bangladeshi children have died from measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours until 8 a.m. on Sunday, increasing the total number of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths in the country to 620.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the latest deaths have been classified as measles-suspected. With the latest fatalities, the total number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 529, while the confirmed deaths remained unchanged at 91, the United News of Bangladesh (UNB) reported.

As many as 1,221 suspected measles cases were reported in Bangladesh in 24 hours, raising the overall cases to 79,012. During the same period, 66 new confirmed measles cases were reported, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 9,686. Since March 15, 64,263 suspected measles patients have been hospitalised. Among them, 60,084 have recovered, according to the DGHS, the UNB reported.

Last month, 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, local media reported.

Addressing a press briefing in Dhaka, Rana Flowers, UNICEF representative to Bangladesh, 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 previous interim government.

“From 2024, we were warning the government that the shortage of vaccines could lead to an outbreak. From 2024 to 2025 and 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,” The Daily Star quoted Flowers as saying.

According to Flowers, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director Ted Chaiban raised concerns over vaccine shortages 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 current Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led government on the measles outbreak.

–IANS

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