Bangladesh was warned at least 10 times about massive measles outbreak: UNICEF
International 20 May, 2026

Bangladesh was warned at least 10 times about massive measles outbreak: UNICEF

Business To Business, Dhaka, 20th May, 2026:   As the measles death toll rose to 500, UNICEF on Wednesday said it had repeatedly warned the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus about the risk of an outbreak due to delays in vaccine procurement.
Rana Flowers said UNICEF had raised concerns about vaccine shortages in at least 10 meetings with the government since 2024 and had also sent five to six formal letters on the issue.
Speaking at a press conference in Dhaka, Flowers said the warnings were linked to procedural delays in securing vaccines.
According to government data, 481 people had died from measles or related symptoms since March, while six children died in the past 24 hours alone. Authorities also reported 1,270 fresh suspected cases during the same period.
The outbreak has intensified pressure on Bangladesh’s healthcare system amid growing concern over immunisation coverage and vaccine availability.

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