MORE THAN 1,000 CHILDREN DIE FROM MEASLES

DHAKA, SEPTEMBER 9 /SRNA/ - More than 1,000 children have died from measles in Bangladesh since March, medical officials said today, acknowledging that the failure of the vaccination program is one of the possible causes of the outbreak.

According to data from the Directorate General of Health Services /DGHS/, 1,002 deaths and 187,484 infections have so far been recorded among children, making this year's outbreak one of the deadliest in several decades.

Measles is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing, while there is no specific treatment once a person becomes infected, AFP reported.

Complications can include brain swelling and difficulty breathing. Anyone can contract measles, but younger children are particularly affected by the disease.

The disease continues to spread across Bangladesh even though health authorities have launched mass vaccination programs as part of efforts to combat the outbreak.

DGHS spokesman Zahid Raihan said that 18 million children have been vaccinated so far and that teams are searching for those who missed their immunization appointments.

Official data indicate that around four million children missed immunization, which experts believe led to the outbreak.