The country’s capital Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar - home to the world’s largest refugee camp - and other dense urban slum areas are seeing particularly high caseloads, with infants under nine months most affected.
DHAKA, 7 April 2026 - Bangladesh is facing its most severe measles outbreak in about a decade, with more than 6,400 children across 56 districts infected, including 98 suspected deaths, said Save the Children.
The country’s capital Dhaka, Cox’s Bazar - home to the world’s largest refugee camp - and other dense urban slum areas are seeing particularly high caseloads, with infants under nine months most affected.
Golam Mothabbir, Health & Nutrition Sector Lead at Save the Children Bangladesh said:
“Vaccinations will be crucial to help slow down the country’s measles outbreak and prevent further cases and deaths, which is already putting pressure on Bangladesh’s health system. We know that if not enough vaccines are administered or if the vaccine campaign isn’t sustained, the outbreak will continue to spread, and paediatric wards will continue to fill.
Save the Children stands ready to be a frontline health partner with the Government of Bangladesh to support the measles outbreak response in Bangladesh. We're working with communities to raise awareness, and we've engaged government frontline workers and family welfare assistants to lead courtyard sessions.
“Save the Children is also working through schools and speaking to adolescents so they can help to inform families and peers about the outbreak. Collectively, we're promoting preventive behaviors and reducing risk through immunization, early detection, and timely care for mothers and children.”
“Building on the strong response from the Government of Bangladesh, we continue to advocate for investment in resilient health care systems that safeguard uninterrupted vaccine supplies so that children and families in Bangladesh can have ready access to life saving vaccinations.”
Earlier this month, the Government of Bangladesh, UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi launched an emergency Measles Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in response to the spike in cases among children and infants. This is the first national measles campaign in Bangladesh since 2020, due to disruptions from the global pandemic followed by recent political instability in the country.
Save the Children has been working in Bangladesh for more than 50 years. Together with government, civil society organizations and businesses we respond to major emergencies, deliver development programmes and ensure that children’s voices are heard through our campaigning to build a better future.
[1] As of April 5, more than 6,400 children across 56 districts have been infected, with 98 suspected deaths (IFRC https://go.ifrc.org/emergencies/7874/details)
