WHO says Bangladesh at high risk from measles, urges measures to close immunity gaps
WHO said the measles outbreak has already spread to 58 out of 64 districts of the country, with children bearing the brunt of the crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially assessed the ongoing measles outbreak in Bangladesh as a "high" national risk, warning of continued transmission unless urgent measures are taken to close immunity gaps.
In an evaluation report published on Thursday (23 April), the UN health agency cautioned that a sharp increase in cases notified on 4 April indicates a significant threat to public health across the country.
The warning comes as the latest reports confirm the total suspected death toll has reached 240 this year. According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), seven children died from measles and measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours leading up to 8am yesterday (24 April).
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During that period, some 1,215 patients were admitted to hospitals nationwide, with 172 cases confirmed by laboratories as measles.
The WHO said the outbreak has already spread to 58 out of 64 districts, with children bearing the brunt of the crisis.
Data shows that 79% of reported cases are among children under five, while 91% of cases fall within the 1-14 years age group.
The agency highlighted that the surge is largely driven by "suboptimal population immunity," noting that many infected children were either unvaccinated or had received only a single dose.
According to the global health body, this outbreak marks a major reversal of the progress Bangladesh had made toward measles elimination.
The WHO pointed to a nationwide stockout of measles-rubella (MR) vaccines between 2024 and 2025, alongside gaps in routine immunisation and the absence of large-scale campaigns since 2020, as the primary factors leaving children susceptible.
While a targeted MR vaccination campaign was launched on 5 April, the WHO warned that the concentration of cases among under-vaccinated populations and infants raises the risk of severe disease outcomes.
The UN agency emphasised that the situation underscores an increasing vulnerability to sustained transmission and recommended that authorities maintain at least 95% vaccine coverage across all municipalities, with at least the same percentage of coverage of both the first and second doses of the measles-containing vaccine (MCV) in all municipalities to prevent outbreaks.
Additionally, the WHO urged the government to enhance surveillance in high-traffic border areas and activate rapid response teams to contain the spread.
In the report, the WHO recommends maintaining a stock of the MR and/or measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, and syringes/supplies for control actions of imported cases.
The WHO also called for facilitating access to vaccination services according to the national scheme to those from other countries or people from the same country who perform temporary activities in countries with ongoing outbreaks; displaced populations; indigenous populations, or other vulnerable populations.
Additionally, the WHO clarified that it does not recommend any restriction on travel and trade based on the information available on the current outbreak.
