Boost community healthcare to curb measles surge: epidemiologist

Bangladesh is experiencing a measles surge across 58 districts, with public health experts emphasizing the need for community-based healthcare to curb the outbreak. Prof. Dr. Pravat Chandra Barua, an eminent epidemiologist and former Line Director of TB and Leprosy at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), stressed that community healthcare workers must lead the response through vaccination, surveillance, and early detection. The government launched an emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign in April 2026, aiming to immunize 18 million children aged 6 to 59 months. Over 96% of the target group has already been vaccinated, with support from UNICEF, WHO, and Gavi. However, experts attribute the outbreak to disruptions in routine vaccination during COVID-19, supply constraints, and vaccine hesitancy, particularly affecting infants younger than the recommended vaccination age. Dr. Barua highlighted that community health workers are critical in raising awareness, encouraging vaccination, and improving surveillance. He noted that structural issues like maternal undernutrition, low birth weight, and poor infant feeding practices weaken immunity and worsen infection severity. These challenges, he said, are social determinants of health that require direct family engagement. The spike in infections has prompted calls for modernizing epidemiological surveillance through digital reporting and active case detection. Health officials also warned that a single infected child can transmit the virus to up to 18 others, underscoring the urgency of a coordinated response. Experts agree that strengthening community-based healthcare is essential for long-term public health resilience.