UNICEF reveals repeated warnings ignored as Bangladesh grapples with one of its deadliest measles outbreaks in decades, claiming hundreds of young lives.
UNICEF Bangladesh has disclosed that it issued multiple formal warnings to Bangladesh’s interim government about an impending measles vaccine shortage, sending five to six letters and holding around 10 meetings with health authorities between 2024 and 2026. Despite these alerts, critical procurement delays occurred, contributing to a massive measles outbreak that has overwhelmed hospitals and claimed hundreds of young lives across the country.
UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh Rana Flowers emphasised that the warnings began as early as 2024. “From 2024 across 2025 into 2026, we sent letters and we had 10 different meetings signalling this was a problem and that orders for vaccines needed to be given,” Flowers stated. She noted that even Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s deputy executive director, raised the issue during a meeting with the foreign affairs ministry last year.
Flowers clarified that funding was not the issue; the Ministry of Finance had allocated resources, but decisions around procurement created the bottleneck. “The failure to order vaccines was not the result of no money in the Ministry of Health… It was the decision around how to procure that had created a delay,” she said, welcoming a potential investigation into the matter.
Background: A Preventable Crisis Unfolds
Bangladesh, once hailed as a vaccination success story with high routine immunization coverage, has faced accumulating vulnerabilities in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supplementary immunization activities, leaving pockets of under-vaccinated children, particularly in urban slums and hard-to-reach areas. Political upheaval following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024 added further instability.
The interim government under Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, which took charge amid the transition, made a pivotal policy shift in September 2025. It halted vaccine procurement through UNICEF and Gavi – the established channel that ensured reliable, quality-assured supplies – and moved to an open tender system. UNICEF strongly opposed this change, warning it could disrupt supply chains and routine immunization.
Coverage for the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine dropped alarmingly. Government figures indicated that by late March 2026, only about 59 per cent of eligible children had received their measles vaccination in 2025, well below the 95 per cent threshold needed for herd immunity. This created a large pool of susceptible children, estimated in the hundreds of thousands, including zero-dose and partially vaccinated individuals.
The outbreak erupted in earnest in March 2026, spreading rapidly across 58 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts. By mid-April, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported over 19,000 suspected cases and nearly 3,000 laboratory-confirmed cases, with 166 suspected deaths. Children under five bore the brunt, accounting for around 79-81 per cent of cases, including many infants under nine months who are ineligible for routine vaccination and rely on community immunity.
As of May 19, 2026, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) reported a staggering 56,586 suspected cases, 7,929 confirmed cases, and 475 deaths with suspected measles symptoms (including 77 confirmed measles deaths). Hospitals, particularly in Dhaka, have been overwhelmed, with ICUs filled with paediatric patients suffering from severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis.
Impact on the Ground and Emergency Response
The human toll has been devastating. Reports describe scenes of grieving parents and strained healthcare workers. The Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, Dhaka, saw a dramatic surge – from 69 suspected cases in the entire previous year to 560 in the first three months of 2026 alone. Mortality spiked unusually, with experts noting higher-than-expected severity possibly linked to malnutrition, vitamin A deficiency, and delayed care in densely populated areas.
In response, the post-interim government, elected in February 2026, has reversed the procurement policy, reinstated UNICEF as a key supplier, and launched emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaigns. A targeted drive began on April 5, 2026, initially covering high-risk areas and expanding nationwide. Efforts include strengthening surveillance, restoring vitamin A supplementation, and engaging communities to boost uptake.
Private hospitals have been ordered to admit measles patients, and authorities are establishing emergency systems like ‘Pagla Ghonta’ for hospital alarms. The High Court has sought answers on vaccine supply and compensation for affected families.
Lessons and the Path Forward
Health experts describe the crisis as largely preventable, stemming from governance lapses, procurement delays, and missed supplementary campaigns since 2020. Subnational inequities – worse in urban slums – exacerbated the problem despite strong national averages in prior years.
UNICEF and WHO continue to support the response, providing vaccines, technical aid, and risk communication, Flowers said, as she stressed the need for accountability while focusing on recovery: ensuring cold chains, reaching zero-dose children, and rebuilding trust in immunization programmes.
Bangladesh’s measles tragedy underscores the fragility of public health gains amid political transitions. With over 20 million children potentially vulnerable in recent estimates, sustained investment in routine immunization, equitable coverage, and resilient procurement systems will be critical to prevent future outbreaks and protect the nation’s youngest citizens.
As the country mourns its losses and ramps up vaccinations, the episode serves as a stark reminder that vaccine-preventable diseases can resurge rapidly when systems falter – demanding vigilance, continuity, and proactive leadership in public health governance.
