Dhaka, March 30 (IANS) At least six new patients with measles symptoms were admitted to Bangladesh’s Chattogram Medical College Hospital (CMCH), bringing the total number of patients in the paediatric ward to 18 on Monday, local media reported.

Muhammad Musa, head of the Paediatric Department at CMCH, said that all patients have been placed in isolation.

Reports suggest that as measles spreads in Dhaka and several other districts, as many as 38 children have died of the infectious disease and its related complications this year.

Of the total fatalities, 32 occurred in March – with 21 ot them at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in the capital’s Mohakhali, including three on Sunday, amid a surge of patients in the hospital from across the country, The Daily Star reported.

According to health experts, gaps in vaccination coverage are the main cause of the outbreak, with many children remaining outside the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) or failing to complete the full dosage, leaving them vulnerable.

Several children reportedly do not return for vaccination due to missed schedules, lack of awareness, and delays caused by illness, while occasional vaccine shortages further worsen the situation.

Despite high overall coverage, nearly 10 per cent of children remain unvaccinated. The government conducts periodic “catch-up” campaigns to address this gap, but a programme scheduled at the end of 2024 was not implemented due to adverse conditions, leaving many children at risk.

Experts said that this, combined with high population density and widespread child malnutrition, has accelerated the spread of the disease, according to a report in the Dhaka Tribune.

Shrebash Paul, junior consultant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said that the hospital admitted 560 measles patients in the first three months of 2026, compared to just 69 in 2025.

The monthly admissions reportedly increased from 35 in January to 88 in February before a sharp rise in March. While in previous years only 10 per cent of samples tested positive, this year the figure has reached 90 per cent.

Paul further said that most infected children are below nine months of age and have not yet been vaccinated.

With hospitals under severe strain, patients are being treated on cabin floors, in corridors, and even in front of lifts amid a shortage of beds. Although the Bangladesh government has directed other hospitals to admit measles patients to reduce pressure, the situation remains critical, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Experts have called for improved vaccination coverage, increased public awareness, and swift implementation of catch-up campaigns to contain the outbreak.

–IANS

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