Dhaka: Bangladesh on Thursday reported the deaths of eight more children with measles-like symptoms, bringing the death toll to 779 since mid-March this year. Of the total deaths, 95 were medically confirmed cases of measles infections, according to the daily bulletin of the Health Ministry. Over the past 24 hours, health authorities reported 197 confirmed cases of measles and 974 suspected cases. With the new cases, the tally of confirmed cases jumped to over 14,000, while suspected cases have crossed 115,000. Of the new fatalities, three were from the capital Dhaka.

According to Anadolu Agency, the South Asian nation with a population of 175 million has been struggling to manage the measles outbreak. Dr. Zahid Raihan, a senior health official, explained that patients often come to hospital after 10-15 days of infection. Therefore, not all cases can be confirmed. He noted that a large number of children died of pneumonia and malnutrition, and while measles was not the only cause, it exacerbated the symptoms.

Bangladesh once achieved herd immunity against measles but lost it in recent years due to low vaccine coverage, according to the UN. Since April 5, the Health Ministry has vaccinated over 18 million children. Measles is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children and can cause severe complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation, and death, particularly among malnourished or unvaccinated children. It remains one of the leading causes of vaccine-preventable child deaths worldwide.