Azadeh Moshiri

A severe measles epidemic in Bangladesh has led to nearly 750 deaths in four months after years of progress toward elimination. Hospitals are overwhelmed, and delayed vaccine procurement, gaps caused by the pandemic, and lack of recent mass vaccination campaigns contributed to the surge. Families describe long journeys, lack of beds and ICU access, and children dying from preventable complications. The government and Unicef have launched an emergency vaccination effort reaching over 18 million children, but the country continues to record close to 1,000 new suspected cases daily as experts warn the crisis remains grave.