In March alone, amid a sudden measles outbreak, some 229 patients died at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH) awaiting ICU beds. Ninety-one of the deceased were children. Many died on waiting lists, never receiving the treatment they needed, and the numbers are still rising.

Bangladesh is once again facing a public health threat that is both familiar and preventable. Since early January 2026, the country has seen a surge in measles cases, with thousands of suspected infections and a rising number of deaths.

Despite remarkable progress in child survival, newborn deaths remain a major challenge in Bangladesh. According to recent estimates, about 60,000 newborns die each year in the country, with nearly three-quarters of these deaths occurring in the first week of life.

One could say the success story of Bangladesh’s economic development has been spectacular.

The largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years has been recorded in official data published today (July 16, 2022) by World Health Organisation and Unicef.