The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the measles situation in Bangladesh, categorising it as a “high-risk” national scenario.

In a report published on Thursday, the organisation said this assessment is based on the spread of infection across 58 districts, a large number of infected children, gaps in immunity due to insufficient vaccination, and reported deaths.

On April 4, Bangladesh’s International Health Regulations (IHR) focal point informed the WHO that measles cases in the country had risen significantly, driven by ongoing community transmission, according to the report.

The report recorded a total of 19,161 suspected measles cases nationwide between March 15 and April 14. At the same time, 2,897 cases were laboratory-confirmed. However, in the details breakdown cited 2,973 confirmed cases.

During this time, 166 deaths were reported among suspected measles cases, with a case fatality rate (CFR) of 0.9 percent. Laboratory-confirmed measles deaths stood at 30, with a higher CFR of 1.1 percent.

The report further notes that the hospital admitted 12,318 patients during this period and discharged 9,772 after treatment.

Meanwhile, since March 15, a total of 42 children have died from confirmed measles, while 198 deaths have been reported with measles-like symptoms — bringing the total death toll to 240, according to Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) latest data.

Since March 15, symptoms of measles have been identified in 29,549 children. Of them, 19,705 were hospitalised, 4,231 were confirmed cases, and 16,527 have been released from hospitals.

The highest burden of measles cases is in the Dhaka Division, data indicate, with 8,263 suspected cases reported since March 15. It is followed by Rajshahi Division (3,747 cases), Chattogram Division (2,514 cases), and Khulna Division (1,568 cases).

In Dhaka, densely populated slum areas account for the highest number of cases, including Demra, Jatrabari, Kamrangirchar, Korail, Mirpur, and Tejgaon industrial and informal settlements.

The WHO says measles cases have been detected in all eight divisions of the country. Out of 64 districts, 58 — around 91 percent — have reported infections, indicating that transmission has now become widespread at the national level.

The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) data shows that measles has spread to 61 districts. Among infected children, 83 percent are under the age of five.

The majority of hospitalised patients are children below five years, accounting for 79 percent, according to the WHO report. Among them, 66 percent are under two years of age, and 33 percent are below nine months.

The report notes that a total of 166 suspected child deaths have been recorded, mostly among unvaccinated children under the age of two.

The WHO further highlights that a major concern in the current outbreak is that many children either have not received any measles vaccine or have received only a single dose. In addition, some children have been infected before reaching the eligible vaccination age of nine months. Most patients, around 91 percent, are children aged between one and 14 years, indicating a significant immunity gap within this age group.