Loading Curie Briefs...
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Getting the latest healthcare news for you
Bangladesh is now the epicenter of the world's worst measles outbreak, with nearly 1,000 suspected and confirmed deaths since March — driven by vaccination gaps caused by political upheaval in 2024–2025. Over 166,000 suspected cases have been recorded, hospitals are overwhelmed, and children under five bear the heaviest burden. An emergency vaccination campaign has reached 19.7 million children, but experts warn routine immunization must be urgently restored.
Bangladesh is battling the world's worst measles outbreak on record, with 999 suspected and confirmed measles-related deaths reported since March 2026. The crisis stems from a collapse in routine immunization during 2024–2025, when political turmoil following a deadly uprising against then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina disrupted vaccine procurement and delivery. A nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign was postponed in 2024 and cancelled outright in 2025, leaving hundreds of thousands of children — particularly infants under nine months — unprotected against one of the most contagious diseases known.
Hospitals across the country are buckling under the strain. Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital in Dhaka, designed for 1,350 patients, is currently treating more than 2,350, with many measles patients receiving care on the floor amid a shortage of paediatric saline. The crisis is compounded by a simultaneous dengue surge, with over 45,000 dengue admissions recorded this year alone.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: This outbreak is a stark reminder that vaccination coverage gains can unravel rapidly when political instability disrupts health systems. Bangladesh had maintained near-WHO-recommended 95% vaccination rates for most of the past decade — making this collapse all the more alarming and instructive for global health preparedness.
