A worsening measles outbreak across Bangladesh has sparked widespread concern, with rising deaths and infections among children exposing serious gaps in the country’s immunisation system and prompting questions over past policy decisions.
According to health sector data, at least 128 children have died while around 8,281 others have been infected with measles-like symptoms till Tuesday morning. The outbreak has spread across 56 districts, creating panic among families as the disease continues to affect children at an alarming rate.
Health experts have described the situation as nearing epidemic proportions, attributing the rapid spread largely to gaps in routine immunisation over the past few years. Many children, they say, were left outside vaccine coverage due to disruptions in vaccination programmes.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Monday told Parliament that the crisis is the result of “serious mismanagement” and vaccination gaps under previous administrations, including the interim government led by Dr Muhammad Yunus.
He said no nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign has been carried out since December 2020, despite such campaigns typically being conducted every four years. This lapse, he noted, left a significant number of children unprotected and vulnerable to infection.
The issue was raised in Parliament by lawmaker Akhtar Hossain, who called for urgent government action to contain the outbreak. He cited reports indicating more than 115 suspected measles-related deaths in recent weeks, including confirmed fatalities, and questioned inconsistencies in official statements regarding vaccination coverage.
Beyond vaccination gaps, experts and officials have pointed to disruptions in vaccine procurement and funding mechanisms as key contributors to the crisis. Several policy changes during the interim administration reportedly affected the long-standing procurement system, including the cancellation of established supply channels without ensuring alternatives.
Sources said the previous sector programme - jointly funded by the government and international partners - was discontinued in March 2025 without adequate preparation. While the programme previously relied on about 60 per cent donor funding and 40 per cent government contribution, no alternative funding arrangements were secured after its suspension.
Public health specialists argue that delays in allocating funds and shifting vaccine procurement from development to revenue budgets further complicated the process, leading to shortages. Data shows that in the first quarter of the year, only about 27 per cent of the required measles-rubella vaccines were supplied, leaving a significant shortfall.
Shortages have also affected several other essential vaccines under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), raising concerns about the potential resurgence of other preventable diseases.
Public health expert Mushtaq Hossain said efforts to reform the procurement system were undertaken without proper planning, disrupting immunisation activities.
Another expert, Dr Lelin Chowdhury, warned that procurement failures have left a generation of children exposed, despite Bangladesh previously achieving nearly universal immunisation coverage.
EPI Director Shahriar Sazzad said changes in budget allocation and procurement procedures made fund disbursement slower and more complex, contributing to the shortage of vaccines.
Criticism has also been directed at former Health Adviser Nurjahan Begum over alleged inaction during the early stages of the crisis, with growing calls for accountability both from experts and on social media.
In Parliament, concerns were also raised about inadequate healthcare facilities, particularly in district and upazila-level hospitals, where ICU and NICU services remain limited.
Lawmaker Akhtar Hossain said infections are now being reported even among infants younger than the usual vaccination age of nine months, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Responding to these concerns, the health minister said isolation wards have been set up in government hospitals, with additional beds being prepared in high-risk areas such as Rajshahi.
He added that ICU capacity and oxygen support systems are being strengthened, including the introduction of low-cost oxygen solutions developed in collaboration with icddr,b.
The government has also initiated emergency vaccine procurement, with support from development partners such as the World Bank and UNICEF.
Officials said Tk604 crore in unspent COVID-19 funds is being used to procure vaccines, while leave for health workers has been cancelled to ensure stronger monitoring at the field level.
Health experts have stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation into the causes of the outbreak and warned that failure to restore a stable immunisation system could reverse decades of progress in public health.
They emphasised that sustained investment, proper planning, and timely vaccination campaigns are essential to prevent such crises in the future.
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