Dhaka, May 14 (IANS) The process of deaths due to measles and its similar symptoms is not stopping in Bangladesh. According to the latest information, eight more people have died in the last 24 hours, after which the total death toll has increased to 432. This information has been given by the local media quoting the Health Department.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), this number of deaths is included in the reports recorded till Wednesday morning.
The situation in the country is deteriorating rapidly. Meanwhile, the number of suspected and confirmed cases of measles has also crossed 60,000.
1,489 new suspected cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of suspected patients to 53,056. With the confirmation of 126 new cases, the total number of cases has reached 7,150.
Health experts say this is the largest outbreak of measles in recent years. He believes that due to lack of timely vaccination and delay in treatment, the infection has spread rapidly and deaths have increased.
Public health expert Mushtaq Hussain said that if there were right level of arrangements and timely action to treat the patients, many lives could have been saved. He also said that when cases reach above 50,000, it should have been declared a public health emergency.
At the same time, expert Mehbooba Jamil says that if the vaccination campaign continues continuously then the cases may reduce in the coming weeks. In the areas where vaccination has taken place, the situation is looking a little better.
According to health experts, lack of vaccination and malnutrition are the major reasons for the rapid spread of this disease last year.
Meanwhile, some people demonstrated under the banner of ‘Conscious Civil Society’ in Dhanmondi 27 area of Dhaka. During this, demands were made for action against former interim government chief advisor Muhammad Yunus and health advisor Noorjahan Begum and compensation to the victim’s families.
Some reports have described the entire outbreak as an “avoidable disaster” and said the situation was worsened by a weak vaccination system in the past.
An editorial report in ‘The Daily Star’ also said, “The country’s strong vaccination system built over two decades has now become a victim of negligence.”
–IANS
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