DHAKA: Bangladesh has expressed its desire to build a stronger, more effective and results-oriented partnership with UNICEF to improve maternal and child health, ensure quality education, empower adolescent girls, strengthen child protection and enhance climate resilience. According to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam conveyed the government’s expectations during a meeting with visiting UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka yesterday.

The meeting discussed various aspects of the longstanding cooperation between Bangladesh and UNICEF in promoting the development and welfare of women and children. Shama Obaed praised UNICEF’s contributions to the advancement and well-being of women and children in Bangladesh since the country’s independence. She said the government was committed to building an inclusive society that ensures dignity, equal opportunities and access to essential services for women and children.

She also highlighted the government’s priority initiatives, including the Family Card and Farmer Card programmes, noting that financial assistance to women-headed households would help strengthen women’s economic empowerment.

The State Minister outlined several government initiatives in education, including school feeding programmes, free textbook distribution and free education opportunities for female students up to the undergraduate level. Highlighting Bangladesh’s significant progress in reducing maternal and child mortality, Shama said the government had nearly doubled budget allocations for the health sector to strengthen healthcare services.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to improving educational standards, she said investment in education would gradually increase, with the aim of raising education spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). On child marriage, she stressed the importance of addressing its underlying socioeconomic causes, including poverty, social norms, school dropouts and limited opportunities for girls.

The meeting also discussed gender-related risks arising from climate change, violence against women, including online harassment, and juvenile crime. In this connection, Shama referred to her recent meeting with Meta officials in New York, where discussions included the possibility of establishing a local office of the company in Bangladesh to ensure faster responses to complaints. She also outlined various government measures aimed at addressing juvenile crime.

The State Minister expressed appreciation for UNICEF’s assistance in ensuring education, healthcare, nutrition and protection for Rohingya children in Bangladesh. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell praised Bangladesh’s progress in reducing child mortality and stunting, increasing school attendance and birth registration, and expanding access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

Russell expressed gratitude for the government’s cooperation and reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to continuing its support for Bangladesh. Among those attending the meeting from UNICEF were UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Gillian Mellsop, Deputy Representative Emmanuel Abiru and Child Protection Specialist Shabnaz Zaherin Catherine.

Foreign Secretary Ambassador Asad Alam Siam and Director General Kazi Ehsanul Haque were also present. The meeting reaffirmed the shared commitment of Bangladesh and UNICEF to advancing the rights, protection and well-being of women and children through stronger cooperation and targeted development initiatives.

Ruma Bhoumik, Dhaka – The United States is supporting Bangladesh’s national measles-rubella catch-up vaccination campaign through UNICEF, with the aim of protecting 3.4 million children aged six to 59 months amid the ongoing outbreak. US Chargé d’Affaires Eric Geelan today visited the vaccination campaign at T&T Field in Korail, Banani, here.

The campaign, launched on September 26, is being supported under the United States’ America First Global Health Strategy, according to a statement attributable to US Mission Spokesperson Poornima Rai.

He was joined by State Minister for Health Dr Mohammad Abdul Muhit, Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Md Shafiqul Islam Khan and DNCC Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Imrul Kayes Chowdhury.

UNICEF Bangladesh Chief of Communications and Advocacy Miguel Mateos Muñoz and UNICEF Bangladesh Immunization Lead Dr Riad Mahmud were also present. The campaign represents a nationwide effort to vaccinate vulnerable children against measles and rubella as Bangladesh continues to respond to the current outbreak.

The US support, channelled through UNICEF, is aimed at strengthening the government’s immunisation response and expanding vaccine coverage among children in the target age group.

DHAKA — The United States has provided 500,000 dengue NS1 rapid diagnostic test kits to Bangladesh to support the country’s ongoing efforts to detect dengue cases and strengthen treatment management. The kits were provided through the STRIDES programme, funded by the US government, according to a press release. US Chargé d’Affaires to Bangladesh Trishita Maula formally handed over the kits to Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain at Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital in Dhaka on Thursday morning.

Speaking at the handover ceremony, the health minister directed the authorities concerned to distribute the dengue testing kits across the country promptly. He said the ceremony was held at Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital considering traffic congestion and transportation convenience. “However, all the handed-over kits will be deposited directly with the Central Medical Stores Depot (CMSD). Subsequently, the kits will be sent to district and upazila hospitals across the country through the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), based on demand,” Sakhawat said. The minister said the government currently has adequate stocks of dengue antigen test kits and intravenous saline in addition to the newly received supplies.

“As a result, the health sector is prepared to ensure necessary testing and treatment even if the number of dengue cases increases in any part of the country,” he said. On the possibility of introducing a dengue vaccine in Bangladesh, Sakhawat said the government was considering the option but stressed the importance of ensuring the vaccine’s efficacy and safety because of its high cost.

“Since the vaccine is costly, it is important to ensure its efficacy and safety,” he said. Discussions are underway with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and Gavi on the issue, the minister said, adding that a final decision would be taken in line with international guidelines.

Additional Secretary of the Health Services Division Md Rafiqul Islam, Additional Director General of the DGHS Professor Dr Md Zahid Raihan, Director of Kurmitola Multicare Specialized Hospital Brigadier General Md Saydur Rahman, and senior officials from the US Embassy and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare attended the programme. Later, the minister visited the hospital’s dengue ward and diagnostic laboratory.

Shibbir Ahmed, New York – Ziaur Rahman Foundation Vice-President and eminent physician Dr Zubaida Rahman on Thursday said Bangladesh is redesigning its primary healthcare system around prevention, early identification and continuity of care, with a stronger frontline workforce and professional midwives at the centre of the transformation.

“Our vision of a Healthy Bangladesh is to move from a treatment-centred system to one that emphasises prevention, early identification and continuity of care, with services closer to people’s homes,” she said.

Addressing a high-level side event titled “From Commitment to Action: Integrating Midwifery into Primary Health Care to End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths” at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Zubaida outlined Bangladesh’s ongoing and planned initiatives to transform its Primary Health Care (PHC) system.

Bangladesh, she said, is working towards an integrated PHC network extending to rural unions and urban wards, supported by a stronger frontline workforce and digital health services.

“Women and children are at the centre of this transformation,” she said.

Zubaida said recruitment of 25,000 professional midwives has already begun, stressing that the initiative is aimed not merely at increasing their number but at integrating them into multidisciplinary PHC teams.

“Our objective is not simply to increase their numbers. We want to integrate them into multidisciplinary PHC teams and provide continuity of care from preconception and pregnancy through childbirth, postnatal and newborn care,” she said. The PHC model presented at the discussion places midwives at the centre of the maternal healthcare journey and seeks to move Bangladesh’s health system from fragmented services towards an integrated and accountable platform, she said.

The platform will connect households and communities with primary healthcare facilities and, when necessary, with secondary, tertiary and specialised care through a functioning referral system, Zubaida said. She said midwife-led PHC could advance three priorities for Bangladesh: better access, stronger financial protection and better value in healthcare.

“It can bring essential care closer to women, reduce unnecessary interventions and out-of-pocket expenditure, and ensure respectful care at the right place and at the right time,” she said. Zubaida said Bangladesh’s approach reflects its broader effort to put people at the centre of development and build a modern health system around prevention, dignity and access. The vision, she said, is to ensure that women receive continuous care throughout the maternal journey rather than accessing fragmented services at different stages.

“Every woman should have access to a skilled professional midwife as part of her PHC team, close to where she lives,” she said, outlining the ambition that guided the discussion. Zubaida said the approach is also intended to provide a model for countries to learn from one another while developing solutions suited to their respective health systems.

“Professional midwives save lives. Our task now is to build health systems that enable them to do so effectively, equitably and sustainably,” she said. Bangladesh looks forward to continuing its engagement with governments, UN agencies, development partners and the global health community to turn the dialogue into practical action, she said.

The discussion brought together health ministers and senior representatives from Sierra Leone, Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and other countries, along with UN agencies, development partners, professional organisations, civil society representatives and members of the global health community. The event was organised in partnership with the Government of Sweden and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Shibbir Ahmed, New York – Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Thursday said his government wants to build a “Healthy Bangladesh” where healthcare begins at home and in the community, placing primary healthcare at the centre of the country’s health reform agenda with particular emphasis on women and children.

“My government is transforming our health system, guided by a simple principle: ‘Prevention is better than cure.’ We want to build a Healthy Bangladesh, where healthcare begins in the home and community,” he said.

The Prime Minister made the remarks while opening a high-level side event titled “From Commitment to Action: Integrating Midwifery into Primary Health Care to End Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths” at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Bangladesh co-hosted the event with Sweden in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. The event focused on integrating professional midwifery into primary healthcare to improve maternal and newborn care and reduce preventable deaths.

Tarique Rahman outlined plans to strengthen community-based primary healthcare and expand the role of professional midwives as members of multidisciplinary primary healthcare teams.

He said his government intends to recruit 100,000 additional health workers, 80 percent of whom will be women, to connect families with the health system, identify health risks at an early stage and facilitate timely care.

“One professional has a particularly important role in this continuum: the midwife,” he said.

“A professional midwife can become a woman’s trusted health professional from preconception through the postnatal period,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the government has decided to recruit 25,000 professional midwives across Bangladesh and that the process has already begun. He said the midwives would provide essential reproductive healthcare, support antenatal care, promote safe and respectful childbirth, identify complications early and facilitate referrals. They would also support mothers and newborns through breastfeeding, immunisation and healthy childhood development, he said.

Tarique Rahman said Bangladesh had built an important foundation for professional midwifery, including through professional midwifery education, stronger regulation and deployment of midwives at district, sub-district and union-level facilities.

“We now have more than 11,000 licensed midwives, with the objective of reaching 25,000 by 2030,” he said. He also acknowledged the contribution of Sweden and UNFPA to the development of professional midwifery in Bangladesh.

With UNFPA’s cooperation, Bangladesh has expanded midwifery-led care across 22 districts, where skilled midwives have supported more than 154,000 births and managed critical maternal cases, he said.

“These are not merely statistics. They represent mothers returning home safely, and newborns beginning life with hope,” the Prime Minister said. He also outlined the government’s plan to develop an integrated digital health ecosystem under which every citizen would have a Health Card linked to a digital health record and electronic referral system.

“For a woman in rural Bangladesh, her care can be registered close to home, her visits tracked, and her risk factors recorded. If referred to a higher-level hospital, the necessary information should travel with her,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the government’s vision for women’s health extends beyond pregnancy and childbirth and covers women’s health throughout the life course. This includes adolescent health, reproductive health and family planning, as well as prevention and early detection of cervical and breast cancers, he said. “Midwifery must therefore be part of a broader platform for women’s health within Primary Health Care,” Tarique Rahman said. He stressed that the next phase of the initiative should be driven by national ownership and sustainable domestic investment.

“As we open today’s discussion, I leave you with one ambition: Every woman should have access to a skilled professional midwife as part of her Primary Health Care team, close to where she lives,” he said.

“For Bangladesh, this means deploying midwives nationwide, strengthening community health services and referral pathways, and connecting citizens through a modern digital health system,” he added.

“Together, these steps will help us build a healthy, thriving Bangladesh. And this is how we move from commitment to action,” the Prime Minister said.

The event brought together ministers, UN agencies, development partners and health experts to discuss ways of translating commitments on midwifery and primary healthcare into sustainable investments and stronger health systems. UNFPA described the integration of midwifery into primary healthcare as a key strategy for expanding equitable, high-quality and dignified maternal and newborn care.

Bangladesh is once again facing a serious public health test. On one side, measles is spreading at an alarming rate; on the other, dengue cases are rising rapidly. The two diseases are different in nature, transmission and prevention. Yet their consequences are converging at the same point—the lives of people, the economic burden on families and the capacity of the country’s healthcare system.

What is particularly concerning is that measles is a vaccine-preventable disease. Effective vaccines have been available for decades. Yet gaps in vaccination coverage, disruptions in routine immunisation programmes and inadequate public awareness have allowed a preventable disease to develop into a major health concern. When this happens, it is no longer simply a medical problem; it raises serious questions about the effectiveness of the public health system.

Dengue, meanwhile, is not a new challenge for Bangladesh. The country has faced recurring outbreaks, particularly during and after the monsoon season. With years of experience in dealing with dengue, Bangladesh should have stronger forecasting, prevention and preparedness mechanisms in place. Yet whenever hospitals come under pressure from a growing number of patients, the same question returns: are we learning enough from previous outbreaks?

The greatest victims of this double health burden are children. Measles can be particularly dangerous for young children, while dengue can also become severe rapidly, especially when warning signs are missed. When the two diseases surge simultaneously, hospitals face additional pressure for beds, doctors, nurses, diagnostic facilities, medicines and other essential resources.

This brings us to the most important question: Are our hospitals prepared?

Simply increasing the number of hospital beds will not answer that question. Hospitals are the final line of defence. The real strength of a public health system lies in its ability to prevent people from reaching the hospital in the first place.

For measles, that means strengthening routine immunisation, identifying children who have missed vaccines and ensuring that they receive appropriate vaccination without delay. Vaccination efforts must reach not only urban communities but also children living in remote areas, informal settlements and other underserved communities.

The fight against dengue must begin outside hospitals. Eliminating mosquito breeding sites, preventing stagnant water, improving sanitation and ensuring coordinated action by health authorities and local governments are essential. Treating patients after they become seriously ill cannot be the country’s only strategy.

Urban management is equally important. Construction sites, abandoned containers, rooftops, drains and other places where water accumulates can become breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. Efforts to eliminate such sites must be continuous rather than limited to short-term campaigns or occasional drives. What is needed is regular monitoring and accountability at the local level.

Another critical issue is data. Health authorities need timely information on where measles and dengue cases are increasing, which communities are most affected and which age groups face the greatest risks. Early and accurate data can allow authorities to respond before an outbreak becomes unmanageable. In modern public health management, success is not simply measured by how well a country responds after an outbreak; it is measured by how effectively it anticipates and prevents one.

We must also remember that a child’s death is never merely a statistic. Behind every death is a family, a future and dreams that will never be fulfilled. When children die from diseases that can be prevented or effectively managed, society has every reason to ask difficult questions about the effectiveness of public policy and healthcare delivery.

Increasing investment in healthcare is essential. But funding alone is not enough. There must also be transparency over how resources are spent, whether those resources reach the communities that need them and whether health authorities are capable of managing crises effectively.

The public also has a role to play. Parents must ensure that children receive their recommended vaccinations. Fever, rash, breathing difficulties or other concerning symptoms should not be ignored. People must also take responsibility for eliminating stagnant water around their homes and communities. But public awareness cannot become an excuse for institutional shortcomings. The state must ensure that citizens have access to reliable information, affordable healthcare and essential preventive services.

The simultaneous spread of measles and dengue should be treated as a serious warning. The question is not simply how many people have been infected or how many hospital beds remain available. The larger question is whether Bangladesh is building a health system capable of identifying risks early and containing outbreaks before they overwhelm hospitals.

Keeping hospitals prepared is essential. But an even greater priority is building a public health system in which the strongest line of defence exists before a patient reaches the hospital. Measles reminds us that no gap in vaccination coverage is safe. Dengue reminds us that the battle for public health begins not inside hospitals, but in homes, neighbourhoods and the way our cities are managed.

The response now must be based not on panic but on coordinated action. Bangladesh needs immediate medical preparedness alongside long-term prevention strategies. If this double outbreak becomes an opportunity to strengthen the country’s public health system, then the painful lessons of today can help prevent even greater losses tomorrow. The question, therefore, is not simply whether our hospitals are ready. The real question is whether our entire health system is ready.

DHAKA — Bangladesh’s measles outbreak continues to claim lives, with three more people dying after developing suspected measles symptoms, according to health authorities. The latest deaths bring the nationwide toll among people who have died with suspected measles symptoms to nearly 1,000, highlighting the continuing pressure on Bangladesh’s healthcare system.

During the latest 24-hour reporting period, 964 people sought hospital treatment for suspected measles symptoms, while 977 patients were admitted, according to figures reported by bdnews24.

Dhaka Division has recorded the highest number of deaths linked to suspected measles symptoms, with 401 deaths reported so far. The figures include both confirmed measles-related deaths and deaths among patients who exhibited symptoms associated with the disease. The continuing fatalities come despite nationwide efforts to expand measles vaccination and strengthen hospital capacity.

Health officials have been monitoring the outbreak since March, when the Directorate General of Health Services began regularly publishing data on patients with measles and measles-like symptoms. Earlier government figures showed that hundreds of people had died while tens of thousands required hospital treatment.

The outbreak has placed additional pressure on hospitals already dealing with a surge in dengue infections. Bangladesh has also reported a sharp increase in dengue hospitalisations in recent months, creating an increasingly difficult public-health environment.

Public-health specialists have previously raised concerns about vaccination coverage, gaps in disease surveillance and the capacity of hospitals to manage severe measles cases and complications.

Measles can be particularly dangerous for young children and can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and other infections, especially among patients who are malnourished or otherwise vulnerable.

The government has conducted emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaigns in high-risk areas and later expanded vaccination efforts nationwide. Officials have said millions of children have received vaccines as part of the response.

However, the persistence of deaths and new hospital admissions suggests that the outbreak remains a serious public-health challenge. Health authorities are continuing to monitor suspected cases and hospital admissions as Bangladesh attempts to contain both measles and dengue outbreaks simultaneously.

Shibbir Ahmed, WASHINGTON DC — President Donald Trump on Monday announced new agreements with nine pharmaceutical manufacturers aimed at lowering prescription drug prices for Americans, expanding his administration’s effort to tie U.S. drug prices to the lower prices paid in other developed countries.

The White House said the agreements bring the total number of pharmaceutical manufacturers participating in the administration’s Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) drug-pricing program to 26, covering about 89% of the branded-drug market.

The nine companies joining the latest agreements are Alcon, Astellas Pharma, BeOne Medicines, BridgeBio, CSL, Kyowa Kirin, Sun Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals and UCB.

Under the agreements, the companies will provide MFN pricing to state Medicaid programs across the United States on eligible medicines. The White House said the deals cover drugs used to treat a range of serious and chronic conditions, including hemophilia, Parkinson’s disease, macular degeneration, glaucoma, liver disease, skin conditions and cancer.

The administration’s MFN strategy seeks to align prices paid in the United States with the lowest prices paid by comparable developed nations.

$19.6 Billion U.S. Manufacturing Investment

The new agreements also include commitments to strengthen pharmaceutical manufacturing in the United States. According to the White House, the nine companies have collectively committed to invest at least $19.6 billion in U.S. manufacturing in the near term.

Several companies have additionally agreed to provide active pharmaceutical ingredients to the federal government’s Strategic Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients Reserve, which is intended to strengthen domestic pharmaceutical supply chains and reduce dependence on foreign sources.

UCB, for example, will contribute 163 tons of levetiracetam, a drug used to control and prevent seizures. Sun Pharma will contribute supplies of the antibiotics clindamycin and doxycycline, while Teva will provide metronidazole and amlodipine. Astellas will contribute tacrolimus, an immunosuppressant used to help prevent organ rejection following transplants.

Administration Projects Major Savings

The White House says patients have already saved more than $700 million through TrumpRx, the administration’s prescription-drug discount platform, since its launch in February.

The administration also says more than 500,000 seniors have saved a combined $216 million since July through a program offering certain GLP-1 obesity medicines for $50 a month to seniors without coverage for those drugs.

The White House’s Council of Economic Advisers estimates that the administration’s broader MFN agreements could generate approximately $600 billion in savings over the next decade. That figure is an administration estimate rather than an independently verified projection.

Part of Trump’s Broader Drug-Pricing Push

Trump ordered his administration in May 2025 to pursue Most-Favored-Nation pricing for prescription medicines, seeking to bring U.S. prices closer to those paid in other developed countries.

The administration subsequently reached agreements with major pharmaceutical manufacturers, including Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Amgen, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Novartis, Sanofi and others.

Trump launched TrumpRx.gov in February 2026 as part of the administration’s effort to make lower-priced medicines available directly to American consumers through participating manufacturers and pharmacies.

Reuters reported Monday that the latest agreements include a mix of international pharmaceutical companies and smaller biotechnology firms, expanding the program beyond the large drugmakers that participated in earlier rounds.

The new agreements come as prescription-drug affordability remains a major issue for American consumers and as the Trump administration prepares for the November midterm elections.

The White House is also calling on Congress to advance what it describes as the “Great Healthcare Plan,” which the administration says would seek to lower drug prices and insurance premiums while increasing price transparency.

For Americans, the practical impact of Monday’s agreements will depend on which medicines receive the new pricing arrangements, when the lower prices take effect and how the discounts are implemented through Medicaid and participating drug programs. The White House announcement marks the latest and one of the largest expansions of Trump’s MFN drug-pricing initiative since it began in 2025.

JHENAIDAH – Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hussain has said that, under the Prime Minister’s directives, all upazila health complexes across the country will be transformed into modern nine-storey health complexes within the next three years.

“A long-term plan has been taken to upgrade all 50-bed upazila health complexes in the country into 151-bed hospitals within the next three years,” he said while responding to queries from reporters after making surprise visits to the Maheshpur and Kotchandpur upazila health complexes in the district today.

He said the country’s healthcare sector had been seriously neglected during the 17-year rule of the “fascist Awami League government”. “Looting took place in all sectors, and extensive looting also occurred in the healthcare sector. There was a lack of accountability, which disrupted health services,” he said.

Corruption had also taken place in the purchase of medicines for hospitals during the fascist government, Sakhawat said, adding the government wants to bring the country’s health sector and medical system under a new discipline.

“We have undertaken long-term plans to address the shortage of doctors and medicines and to make services easier for patients. We will not compromise in implementing the plans to restore public confidence in government healthcare services,” he continued.

He said that after the 151-bed upazila health complexes are launched, the hospitals will have a special 25-bed ward for pregnant women and a separate 20-bed ward for children. “We have also taken plans to introduce services such as kidney dialysis at these hospitals. Once these are implemented, the country’s health sector and the system of medical services will be transformed,” he said.

Earlier in the morning, the Health Minister visited different wards of the Maheshpur and Kotchandpur upazila health complexes. During the visits, he enquired about the overall condition of patients receiving treatment at the hospitals. He also spoke with patients and their attendants about the quality of healthcare services and food at the hospitals. Later, he visited the Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex.

Salma Akter Sharmin: Amid a nationwide measles outbreak, concerns are mounting over continued transmission inside hospitals and homes, as shortages of beds and inadequate isolation facilities are forcing infected and uninfected children to share wards, leading to new infections. Health experts say measles, caused by a highly contagious virus, can infect 12 to 18 unvaccinated people through a single infected case.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), one death from measles was reported in the last 24 hours, while four more suspected deaths were recorded during the same period. A total of 1,170 new suspected cases were identified in the last 24 hours.

From March 15 to April 23 (8:00am), suspected cases have reached 28,334, of which 4,059 have been confirmed as measles. So far, 18,845 patients have been hospitalized with suspected and confirmed infections, while 15,728 have recovered and been discharged. Since the outbreak began, 39 confirmed deaths and 194 suspected deaths have been reported.

Data from Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) Hospital shows that 426 patients received outpatient care in the last 24 hours, while 100 were admitted. A total of 436 patients are currently undergoing treatment at the facility. One death was reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths at the hospital to 12. So far, 2,107 patients have been admitted there.

Hospitals, including the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali and other public and private facilities, are currently facing severe bed shortages. As a result, patients with highly contagious diseases such as measles and chickenpox are being treated in shared wards, contributing to hospital-based transmission, with new infections emerging among already admitted children.

A similar case has been reported in Chapainawabganj, where a one-and-a-half-year-old girl, Tahmina, was initially admitted with fever and later diagnosed with pneumonia. Her family said she developed measles symptoms after being exposed to infected patients in the same ward. Her condition deteriorated, and she was referred to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and later to Dhaka Shishu Hospital. However, due to a lack of available beds, she is currently receiving treatment at DNCC Hospital.

Public health expert and vaccine specialist Dr. Md. Tajul Islam Bari said measles patients must be strictly isolated. “Whether in hospital or at home, isolation is mandatory. If patient numbers are high, additional beds or even temporary arrangements such as tents should be used,” he said, adding that failure to isolate patients accelerates transmission.

Doctors at DNCC Hospital said transmission from one patient to another within healthcare facilities is known as cross-infection. They added that infections are also spreading rapidly within families, creating what they described as a chain of transmission.

Dr. Shreebas Pal, consultant at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Mohakhali, said measles, chickenpox, and mumps are all highly contagious diseases. Due to heavy patient loads, maintaining proper isolation is often not possible, leading to rapid spread of infection. He added that around 10 percent of patients admitted for other conditions are found to have contracted measles during treatment.

In response to the worsening situation, the Health Services Division has instructed all public hospitals to increase bed capacity. In a directive issued on Thursday (April 23), signed by Dr. Abu Hossain Md. Moinul Ahsan, Director (Hospitals and Clinics) of the DGHS, hospitals were instructed not to turn away any measles or suspected measles patients due to lack of beds. Instead, hospitals have been directed to arrange additional beds or alternative facilities where necessary.