Online Desk 

Public health experts say that the growing measles outbreak in Bangladesh is not only linked to low vaccination coverage but also to widespread child malnutrition. Many children are growing up with weak immunity due to a lack of timely vaccines, Vitamin A supplements, deworming medicine, and breastfeeding. As a result, the risk of death among measles-infected children is increasing.

According to the Integrated Control Center of the Directorate General of Health Services, seven more children died from measles and measles-like symptoms in the last 24 hours. Since March 15 this year, a total of 343 children have died across the country from measles and related complications.

Experts say measles is a preventable disease, and many of these deaths could have been avoided through proper vaccination and nutrition.

Public health expert Mushtaq Hossain said the current situation is the result of long-term neglect of child healthcare. He noted that gaps in breastfeeding, Vitamin A campaigns, and deworming programs have increased malnutrition, while setbacks in routine immunization have left children vulnerable.

According to UNICEF, around 85 percent of measles-infected children are under the age of five. Among them, 65 percent received no vaccine at all, while 21 percent were only partially vaccinated.

Under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), children are supposed to receive two doses of the measles vaccine at 9 months and 15 months of age. However, a 2023 assessment found that only 82 percent of children were covered, leaving a significant number unvaccinated each year.

Meanwhile, the national measles vaccination campaign was delayed despite being scheduled for 2025. Although the campaign finally began on April 20 this year, measles had already spread widely across the country before its launch.

Experts also say Vitamin A deficiency among children has worsened the situation. Despite relatively high deficiency rates, no nationwide Vitamin A campaign was conducted after March 2025.

Former head of the Pediatrics Department at Dhaka Medical College, Abid Hossain Mollah, said Vitamin A plays a vital role in strengthening immunity. He warned that malnourished children who are not vaccinated face a much higher risk of severe infection.

In addition, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding has declined. According to the latest demographic and health survey, only 53 percent of infants are exclusively breastfed for the first six months, a significant drop from previous years.

Child health specialists believe the worsening measles crisis is the result of combined failures in vaccination, nutrition, and primary healthcare services.