12 more children die of measles, symptoms in 24 hours

There is no respite in sight as 12 more children died of measles infection and related symptoms in the 24 hours until 8am on Friday.
Of the latest deaths, four were from confirmed measles infections and eight from related symptoms, taking the death toll since 15 March to 451, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) daily update.
During the period, 111 more children were diagnosed with confirmed measles, while 1,192 others developed measles-like symptoms.
Among the latest confirmed measles deaths, two children died in Dhaka division, one in Chattogram division and another in Barishal division.
Of those who died from related symptoms, three were from Dhaka division, three from Chattogram division, one from Mymensingh division and one from Sylhet division.
Since 15 March, 74 children have died from confirmed measles infections, while 377 others have died from related symptoms.
Over the same period, 7,416 people have been diagnosed with measles and 55,611 others have developed related symptoms.
Health experts hope for improvement within 3-4 weeks
Specialist doctors expressed hope that the measles outbreak would subside within the next three to four weeks due to the nationwide vaccination campaign.
They made the remarks at a press conference organised by the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and the Chest and Heart Association at the Abu Sayeed Convention Centre in the capital on Friday.
Emphasising the need for greater awareness among parents, the speakers said children should be taken to hospital as soon as they fall ill. They also warned against relying on faith healing or medicines supplied by local pharmacy shops without proper medical advice.
Among those present at the press conference were child specialist Professor Abid Hossain Molla; senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation and paediatric pulmonologist Professor Dr Ruhul Amin; vice-president of the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh Professor Dr Anarul Anam Kibria; paediatrician Professor Dr Nurul Amin; joint secretary of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation Dr Kazi Saifuddin Benu; specialist physician Professor Dr Asif Mostafa Mahmud; and secretary general of the Chest and Heart Association of Bangladesh Dr Golam Sarwar Bidyut.
Presenting the keynote paper, Dr Ziaul Huq, senior consultant at Evercare Hospital, said 54,419 children had been infected with measles or similar symptoms over the past two months, resulting in 439 deaths.
To tackle the situation, he proposed four measures: continuing the ongoing measles vaccination drive on a priority basis, setting up “fever corners” at district and upazila health complexes for rapid screening, distributing World Health Organization-approved treatment guidelines among all health workers, and launching nationwide awareness campaigns.
He said gaps in the vaccination programme over the past two years had contributed to the current outbreak.
Prof Dr Ruhul Amin, senior vice-president of the Bangladesh Lung Foundation, said that although the media reports seven to eight measles-related deaths daily, the number of children dying from pneumonia is much higher.
“Although 95% to 99% of measles patients recover within seven to 10 days, many among the remaining five percent develop severe complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and brain infections,” he added.