Death Toll Surpasses 400 After 11 More Fatalities

Bangla Press Desk:  Bangladesh's measles crisis has deepened sharply, with the nationwide death toll from measles and measles-like symptoms crossing 400 after 11 more children died in the last 24 hours, according to the latest data released by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Of the latest deaths, four children died from confirmed measles infections, while seven others died with measles symptoms, the DGHS said in its report published on Sunday.

The latest fatalities pushed the total number of deaths since March 15 to 409, marking a grim milestone in the country's worsening outbreak.

Of the total deaths, 65 were confirmed measles cases following laboratory tests, while another 344 children died with suspected measles symptoms.

Health officials also reported a fresh surge in infections. In the last 24 hours alone, 1,708 children were either diagnosed with measles or showed measles-related symptoms.

Since March 15, a total of 6,819 children have tested positive for measles across the country, while 49,159 children with measles symptoms sought treatment at hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Dhaka division has been the worst affected, recording 179 deaths linked to confirmed and suspected measles cases, alongside 26,828 infections and suspected infections, according to DGHS data covering the period from 8:00am on March 15 to 8:00am on May 10.

Public health experts have expressed concern over the rapid spread of the highly contagious disease, particularly among children, citing gaps in vaccination coverage and delayed treatment in some areas.

Amid the worsening outbreak, the state-owned Essential Drugs Company Limited (EDCL) has announced plans to begin domestic production of vaccines for measles, dengue and rabies, along with antivenom for snakebites, for the first time in Bangladesh.

"If implemented successfully, this initiative will not only meet the country's vaccine demand but also

create export opportunities," EDCL Managing Director Md A Samad Mridha said, reports BSS.

He said the project had been undertaken on an emergency basis under government directives considering the growing public health risks posed by measles, dengue, rabies and snakebites.

"We are working with the goal of starting production of these four vaccines within one year. We hope to begin production and supply them to the government by June next year."

The project will be implemented using EDCL's existing infrastructure at an estimated cost of around Tk 250 million.

Once operational, the facility will be capable of producing around 9.0 million to 10 million vials annually, against the country's current yearly demand of around 5.0 million doses for the four vaccines.

Officials said locally produced vaccines could be supplied at nearly half the cost of imported ones, while surplus production may open up export opportunities in future.

Mridha also said the government was planning to establish a modern vaccine and research complex in Sirajdikhan, Munshiganj, at an estimated cost of around Tk 75 billion with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The proposed facility, to be built on around 10 acres of land, is expected to begin production by 2032 and conduct research on vaccines and biotechnology products alongside pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Health experts said timely vaccination remained critical, as delayed immunisation was one of the key reasons behind the current measles outbreak.