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DHAKA, April 23 (Reuters) - Bangladesh has confirmed 30 deaths in a measles outbreak that has spread rapidly across the country, with most of the victims aged under two, the World Health Organization said on Thursday.
In what it described as a reversal of progress towards measles elimination in Bangladesh, the WHO said there had also been another 166 suspected deaths from the disease since mid-March.
Health experts said it was the highest death toll from measles in decades. More than 19,000 suspected cases were reported from March 15 to April 14 and nearly 3,000 cases were confirmed in laboratory tests, the WHO said.
With children under five accounting for about 79% of cases, the WHO linked the rapid spread to gaps in population immunity following a decline in vaccination coverage in recent years and disruptions to routine immunisation services.
It warned of "ongoing uninterrupted transmission and severe disease outcomes" if the immunity gaps are not urgently closed, and said there was a high risk of measles spreading further through major urban centres and international transit hubs, including the capital Dhaka and the port city of Chittagong.
A nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign targeting children aged six to 59 months has been launched alongside emergency measures including rapid response teams, enhanced surveillance, hospital preparedness and vitamin A supplementation.
(Reporting by Ruma Paul, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
