International News

Bangladesh Measles Outbreak

October 24 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 13 0

Bangladesh is facing the world’s worst measles outbreak in 2026, with over 2.02 lakh suspected cases and 1,147 deaths reported since mid-March.
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly spreads through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
The outbreak has been linked to declining immunisation coverage, unregistered children, health-worker shortages and weak health-data systems.
About 94% of the reported deaths in Bangladesh were among children below five years, while around 22,000 cases were laboratory-confirmed.
Measles vaccination coverage fell to 90% for the first dose and 86% for the second dose in 2025, below the 95% coverage generally needed to prevent outbreaks.