Dhaka, Aug 5 (IANS) As many as five more children have died from the measles outbreak in Bangladesh, raising the total number of confirmed and suspected deaths to 854, amid an escalating health crisis in the country, local media reported.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the deaths were reported in the 24 hours leading up to Wednesday morning.
The latest fatalities from the disease were identified as suspected, Bangladeshi media outlet UNB reported.
Reports suggest that while the number of confirmed deaths remained at 96, the total number of suspected deaths climbed to 758.
The DGHS recorded a total of 959 suspected measles cases in the last 24 hours, bringing the overall tally of suspected cases to 132,905.
Additionally, 124 new confirmed cases were reported, increasing the total to 16,655 during the same period.
As Bangladesh continues to grapple with a measles outbreak, at least nine out of every 10 families impacted by the disease have been forced to take out loans to cover treatment costs, while six in 10 have exhausted their savings, local media reported on Tuesday, citing a joint report by two humanitarian organisations.
In their latest joint assessment, the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) examined data from 2,746 families with measles patients undergoing treatment at 12 government medical colleges and district hospitals nationwide.
The report found that each family spent an average of around Bangladeshi taka (Tk) 16,000 on measles treatment, the country's leading daily Prothom Alo reported.
Many parents said that they had to stay away from work to care for their sick children in hospital, leaving some without incomes and others unemployed after losing their jobs.
Public health expert Mushtuq Husain told Prothom Alo that the financial burden borne by low-income families across Bangladesh due to measles reflects what health economists describe as "medical impoverishment".
"It is an extremely painful experience for any family. The incumbent government pledged in its election manifesto to ensure free primary healthcare. Yet, during this measles crisis, we have seen no reflection of that commitment. It is precisely during times like these that such support is needed most," he stated.
--IANS
