Measles outbreak may take 2-3 months to control fully: State minister
The study found that a new variant of the virus did not cause the 2026 measles outbreak, but by the spread of the highly contagious B3 genotype, which is already circulating globally, along with gaps in vaccination and maternal antibodies.
State Minister for Health MA Muhit today (19 August) said there was no scope for unrealistic assurances and that even if the pace of vaccination were doubled, it would still take another two to three months to bring the measles outbreak fully under control.
He said efforts were under way during this period to reduce child deaths through maximum treatment support and stronger field-level surveillance.
State Minister for Health MA Muhit made the remarks as chief guest at a dissemination workshop on "Epidemiological Trends and Genomic Surveillance of Measles" and a research grant distribution ceremony held at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar this morning.
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The research findings were jointly presented by the hospital's Department of Epidemiology and Research and icddr,b.
The event was chaired by Professor AKM Azizul Haque, Chairman of Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute.
The key findings and data were jointly presented by the institute's Director, Professor Mirza Md Ziaul Islam and Mustafizur Rahman, principal scientist and head of the Virology Laboratory at icddr,b.
The study found that a new variant of the virus did not cause the 2026 measles outbreak, but by the spread of the highly contagious B3 genotype, which is already circulating globally, along with gaps in vaccination and maternal antibodies.
It found that malnourished children aged six to nine months were at the greatest risk of infection and death, as immunity passed on from mothers declines rapidly before nine months of age and routine vaccination coverage remains inadequate.
Muhit said the spread of and deaths from a highly infectious disease like measles could only be prevented through timely and effective vaccination, rather than through intensive care units or ventilators.
"The immunity gap created by the failure to take timely action during the 2024 vaccination campaign and policy-level negligence has led to the present outbreak. Even a thousand ventilators or ICU beds cannot stop this wave of deaths. Prevention and vaccination are the only solutions," he said.
Announcing plans to decentralise child healthcare, Muhit said five newly built full-fledged children's hospitals in five divisional and district cities would formally begin providing treatment by October.
He also said every 50-bed upazila health complex across the country was being upgraded to 150 beds to strengthen healthcare at the grassroots level.
At the upazila level, paediatrics, medicine, surgery and gynaecology would be given the highest priority, he added.
Muhit also announced a major recruitment drive to address structural weaknesses in the health system, saying 100,000 new health field workers would be recruited soon to expand primary healthcare and maternal and child health services at the household level.
He said 5,000 new doctors would also be recruited soon, followed gradually by the required number of nurses and medical technologists.
The government is also working to improve the ratio of doctors, nurses and technologists to international standards in order to create a more balanced health workforce structure, he said.
