Situation at a glance
On 4 April 2026, the National International Health Regulations (IHR) Focal Point for Bangladesh notified WHO of a nationwide increase in measles cases, geographically affecting 58 out of 64 districts across all eight divisions in Bangladesh. A total of 19 161 suspected measles cases and 2897 laboratory-confirmed measles cases have been reported between 15 March and 14 April 2026, including 166 measles related deaths (CFR 0.9%). The majority (79%) of the reported cases are children aged under 5 years. A targeted measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign started on 5 April, and various outbreak response measures are ongoing including strengthening nationwide surveillance and epidemiological analysis to enhance case detection and reporting. Based on currently available information, WHO assesses the risk at the national level as high due to ongoing transmission across multiple divisions, the large number of susceptible children, documented immunity gaps, and the occurrence of suspected measles-related deaths.