A toddler receives a measles and rubella vaccination in Dhaka on April 12, 2026 | Picture credit score: AFP
Bangladesh’s present measles emergency is a reminder that this virus can shortly re-emerge. A report from early April, supported by the World Well being Group and UNICEF, mentioned the nation had launched an emergency measles and rubella marketing campaign after greater than 100 youngsters died and hundreds of suspected circumstances, resulting in a surge in infections. The instant components seem like well-known: immunity gaps, missed routine vaccinations, susceptible infants, and disruptions in vaccine provides because of political instability and stock administration points.
WHO’s world surveillance over the previous decade reveals that Bangladesh is a part of a broader sample. In late 2019, WHO Illness Outbreak Information reported large-scale outbreaks in Madagascar, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with greater than 250,000 suspected circumstances and greater than 5,000 deaths within the Democratic Republic of the Congo alone. WHO has recorded outbreaks in Nepal and Ethiopia in 2022-2023. In 2025, WHO reported a big outbreak of measles within the Americas area and a nationwide outbreak in Morocco.
