Child deaths mount from Bangladesh measles outbreak

A child diagnosed with measles receives treatment inside a paediatric ward at the Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute in Dhaka on May 6, 2026. [AFP]

Bangladesh's deadliest measles outbreak in decades is stretching its health system, with children filling hospital wards and doctors struggling to contain a surge in infections that have killed more than 300 youngsters.

The South Asian nation had made advancements in vaccinations to help stem the deadly virus -- but coverage gaps during and after the chaos of a 2024 uprising that overthrew the autocratic government left the youngest generation badly exposed.