Measles Control May Take 2–3 Months: Health Minister M A Muhit

Government need at least two to three months more to bring measles under control the Health and Family Welfare State Minister M A Muhit said Wednesday. Speaking as chief guest at a meeting on measles research at Bangladesh Shishu Hospital and Institute, he said the goal is to reduce deaths and improve treatment within this period.

Muhit said it would be unrealistic to expect a long-standing problem to be solved overnight. He noted that around 80 percent of the population relies on the public healthcare system which has suffered from years of mismanagement, corruption and neglect. While private hospitals and diagnostic centers are widespread, concerns remain over quality control and profit motives. However, autonomous institutions like Bangladesh Shishu Hospital, Holy Family and BIRDEM have helped balance public and private healthcare.

Outlining future plans, Muhit said the government is prioritizing children's health. Five fully equipped children's hospitals in divisional cities are expected to open within two to three months. To address staff shortages, the government will soon recruit 5,000 doctors 1,000 nurses and 100,000 field-level health workers.

Research presented at the meeting revealed that 43 percent of children hospitalized with measles were aged three to nine months. Notably, 38 percent of affected children had not been exclusively breastfed for their first six months but among children who died, this figure rose sharply to 82 percent also highlighting a strong link between lack of breastfeeding and measles deaths.

The study also found that 97.3 percent of infected children under nine months were too young for vaccination, while 97 percent of unvaccinated but eligible children also contracted measles.