Bangladesh is facing a continuing measles outbreak despite routine immunisation and emergency vaccination efforts, with reported infections and deaths still increasing about six months after the spread began. Government figures cited on August 19 said 918 children had died, including 99 confirmed measles deaths and 819 deaths with measles symptoms. More than 162,000 children had been affected, while more than 1,000 infections and three deaths were reported on Tuesday.

The Directorate General of Health Services said Dhaka division recorded the highest death toll, at 423, and the highest number of measles and symptomatic cases, at 74,595 children. World Health Organization analysis found that 90 percent of those who died had received no vaccine. Children under five accounted for 72 percent of infections, while 20 percent of deaths were among infants younger than six months.

Public health experts attributed the crisis to insufficient vaccine coverage, delayed risk assessment, weak contact tracing and isolation, nutritional deficiencies, and management failures. An MR campaign vaccinated 18.48 million children aged six months to five years, but later figures indicated about 4.1 million children in that group were missed. Experts called for stronger surveillance, isolation, hospital arrangements, staff training and vaccination coverage of at least 95 percent.

Bangladesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain met Malaysian High Commissioner to Dhaka Mohammad Shuhada Othman at the minister’s office in the Secretariat on Tuesday, 18 August. The two sides emphasized strengthening mutual cooperation between Bangladesh and Malaysia, particularly in the health sector.

The high commissioner cited Malaysia’s advances in medical care and said Cambodian patients who previously travelled to Thailand now go to Malaysia. He said treatment costs and medicine prices in Malaysia are fixed and lower than in other countries. He added that Malaysia could be a suitable destination for Bangladeshi patients seeking treatment.

According to the high commissioner, interested Bangladeshis can obtain necessary services and assistance through the Malaysia Health Care Travel Council. Praising Malaysia’s medical system, the health minister said arrangements could be made for Bangladeshi specialist doctors to receive training in complex procedures, including kidney, liver and bone marrow transplantation.

Residents of Dakop, a Sundarbans-adjacent coastal area in Khulna, have alleged that patients are being charged for services that should be available free at the government health complex. The allegations target Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Sudip Kumar Bala, who joined the Dakop Thana Health Centre on November 17, 2022. Residents say they have held multiple human chains and protests over the matter.

According to complaints cited in the report, patients are sent to private diagnostic centres despite available pathology services and an ultrasound machine at the facility. They say ultrasound tests that cost Tk200 to Tk250 at the centre are obtained outside for Tk700 to Tk800. Caesarean operations allegedly cost Tk5,500 to Tk7,000, while the ambulance fare to Khulna Medical College Hospital allegedly rose from the government-set Tk800 to Tk1,200.

Dr Bala said outside doctors must be brought in for caesarean operations because the complex lacks gynaecology and anaesthesia physicians, and claimed he does not take the money. He denied allegations over diagnostic referrals and outside-clinic operations. Civil Surgeon Mosammat Mahfuza Khatun said her office has no documents on the claimed resolution and would verify any written complaint before taking action.

A group of assailants attacked Professor Dr Md Asadur Rahman of Dhaka Medical College Hospital’s ear, nose and throat department over treatment-related issues. The incident occurred on Tuesday outside Popular Diagnostic Centre in Shantinagar, Dhaka. Medical organisations condemned the attack and called for exemplary punishment for those involved.

Doctors Association of Bangladesh president Professor Dr Harun Al Rashid and secretary general Dr Md Zahirul Islam Shakil denounced the incident. National Doctors Forum president Professor Dr Md Nazrul Islam and general secretary Professor Dr Mahmud Hossain also issued condemnation. In separate statements, the organisations said the attack had deeply hurt the medical community.

The leaders said doctors work continuously, often at personal risk, to provide patients with the best possible care, and that assaulting or physically humiliating them is a condemnable offence. They warned that threats to doctors’ safety could disrupt quality and uninterrupted treatment for patients. They urged authorities to quickly identify the attackers, bring them under the law, ensure exemplary punishment, and establish effective security for doctors and health workers at hospitals and healthcare facilities.

Bangladesh plans to establish specialized outpatient, inpatient and operating-theatre facilities for eye care at 151-bed hospitals to be built at the upazila level, State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhith said on Tuesday. He made the announcement at the launch of the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative at a hotel in the capital on 18 August 2026.

Muhith said the government is finalizing an integrated national eye-care plan targeting about one million cataract surgeries, distribution of several crore pairs of glasses, and expanded treatment for diabetic retinopathy. Nearly 500 upazilas are expected to receive enhanced eye-care services, reducing the need for patients to travel to district towns or Dhaka. Primary eye care will also be included in training for about 100,000 health workers currently under recruitment.

The government aims to expand regular cataract surgery and refractive-error correction services in at least half of the country’s districts by coordinating existing district-hospital infrastructure. Officials and stakeholders called for stronger primary care, trained personnel, referrals, affordable glasses, reliable data and collaboration across government, WHO, NGOs, professional bodies, development partners and private-sector actors.

Women with breast cancer in Gaza face a severe treatment crisis because of Israel’s blockade and war, according to a report published on August 18, 2026. Shortages of essential tests, medicines and medical equipment are delaying diagnosis, leaving many patients to reach doctors only after their cancer has progressed to advanced stages.

Gaza’s health system has nearly collapsed under the pressure of war and a prolonged blockade. Since October 2023, shortages have affected medicines, medical supplies and specialized diagnostic services. Mammography machines, vital for detecting breast cancer, have repeatedly become inoperative, while replacement parts are difficult to obtain. Gaza physician Hala al-Buhaysi said many women are arriving at hospitals with complicated or advanced cancer because normal access to diagnostic and treatment services has been disrupted.

The World Health Organization estimates that Gaza has about 10,000 cancer patients and identifies more than 2,000 new cancer patients annually. Its research says patients are being denied needed chemotherapy, radiotherapy and diagnostic equipment. Electricity and fuel shortages, along with a lack of health workers, have further complicated care. Doctors warn that the crisis could worsen without prompt provision of medicines, equipment and specialized treatment.

Pakistan’s Supreme Court has ordered former prime minister Imran Khan to be transferred from prison to a hospital for treatment, according to local media reports on Tuesday. The order came amid growing concern over Khan’s health. He has been in prison since August 2023.

Former president Arif Alvi said in a post on X that he reviewed Khan’s medical report with several specialists. Alvi said the most concerning issues were anxiety and stress levels, an elevated heartbeat and high blood pressure. He also said sleep problems were not mentioned in the report, but appeared to be indicated by the medicines Khan was taking.

Alvi said Khan’s heart rate was 54 beats per minute. Although doctors described that as normal, Alvi argued it was not normal in Khan’s case. He urged immediate use of a 24-hour Holter monitor, daily blood-pressure checks and hospital treatment under an independent panel of doctors. Khan’s family members have repeatedly raised concerns that they have been unable to meet him or gain adequate access to him.

Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Health Services has shut more than 250 illegal healthcare institutions across the country in a five-month enforcement drive, including in Dhaka and other districts and upazilas. The health department began regular raids on March 29 this year against unlawfully established hospitals, blood banks, clinics and diagnostic centres. Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain attended several operations.

Dr. Md. Nurul Islam, director of the Directorate’s Hospital and Clinic Branch, said nearly 5,000 illegal and substandard hospitals, clinics, blood banks and diagnostic centres had been targeted in raids. About 200 clinics were given time to make corrections, while facilities with expired licences were also granted time. Nearly 6,000 clinics have renewed their licences, and another 2,000 to 3,000 applications are awaiting scrutiny and approval.

Inspections cover licences, medical equipment standards, hygiene compliance and practitioners’ valid certificates. Authorities say violations can lead to fines, sealing or closure. The minister said facilities failing to maintain minimum healthcare standards would be closed immediately, while operators running hospitals or clinics illegally would face strict legal action.

Digital healthcare platform Sukhi, operated by Sukhi Grameen Healthtech Limited, has launched free mental health counselling for the North South University community, available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. The initiative was announced on Monday, August 17. NSU students, teachers and staff can access the service using mobile numbers registered with the university.

Members of the NSU community can speak with qualified counsellors and psychologists at any time through Sukhi’s Instant Psychologist service. NSU’s Counselling and Wellbeing Center has also joined the initiative. Grameen Healthtech CEO Dr. Arman Ahmed Siddiqui said people should not avoid seeking mental-health support because of hesitation or fear of criticism, stressing empathy, confidentiality and respect.

NSU Vice-Chancellor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury said the service was designed to make professional support accessible and fully confidential. It can be used for stress, anxiety, loneliness, relationship problems, and academic or workplace pressure. Users may book counselling appointments of 30 to 45 minutes at convenient times. Each session will remain fully confidential, with conversations limited to the user and the counsellor.

A total of 189 people died by suicide in Jhenaidah district between January and June 2026, according to the human rights organization RDC. RDC executive chief Abdur Rahman presented the figures at a Saturday morning press conference at the organization’s office, as reported on August 18. The deaths involved hanging and poisoning, with 92 men and 97 women among those reported dead. The Civil Surgeon’s Office and the Deputy Commissioner’s Office confirmed the information, the press conference was told.

Jhenaidah Sadar recorded the highest number, with 59 deaths, including 30 men and 29 women. Shailkupa ranked second with 44 deaths, followed by Harinakundu with 25 and Kotchandpur with 21. Kaliganj and Maheshpur each recorded 20 deaths. The report listed 12 men and eight women in the figures for Kaliganj and Maheshpur.

The district recorded 125 suicides during the same January-to-June period in 2025, including 57 men and 68 women, meaning the 2026 total rose by 64. Civil Surgeon Dr Kamruzzaman cited emotional vulnerability, geographical problems and limited patience among local people. He called for greater social awareness, advocacy meetings with media workers, expanded counselling and discussions with parents of young people. Rahman urged coordinated field-level work by civil society organizations and NGOs.

The National Consumer Rights Protection Directorate fined Ruchika Food Industries Tk 40,000 after allegations that it used rotten eggs and operated in unhygienic conditions in Datterhat, Noakhali Sadar upazila. The action was taken during an operation on the afternoon of Monday, August 17, led by Md Asadul Islam, assistant director with additional responsibility at the Noakhali consumer rights office.

According to operation sources, the establishment was making cakes by mixing good eggs collected from the market with rotten ones. Rotten and broken eggs were emitting a foul smell. Inspectors also found that dirty sugar syrup containing impurities was being used to make a bun called “Honeycomb” without following health regulations.

The fine was imposed under Section 43 of the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009. Authorities seized and destroyed rotten eggs and a large quantity of sugar syrup mixed with impurities. Asadul Islam said the operation was part of the directorate’s regular monitoring activities. A team from the district Battalion Ansar assisted the operation, and he said such actions would continue in the public interest.

Jamal Uddin, 55, an ill expatriate allegedly left on a road in Sakhipur, Tangail, has died at his niece’s home in Kalmagha village. He died at about 3:30pm on Monday. Shah Alam, the husband of his niece, said both of Jamal Uddin’s kidneys had failed and that he was brought home from Sakhipur উপজেলা Health Complex last Friday.

Residents collected money and admitted him to the health complex on August 4. He received treatment there for 10 days, but was taken back to his niece’s home after his condition did not improve significantly. His wife and children were accused of leaving him on a road in the Kalmagha area late on August 2. Local people found him the next morning, and his niece Ismat Ara gave him shelter when rain began.

Jamal Uddin’s brother Abdul Jalil said his wife and children showed no interest in taking responsibility for his treatment after he returned ill from abroad. His wife, Rina Akter, said she had divorced him about two and a half months earlier and left him by vehicle in their village. Former union council chairman Nur Alam said villagers would raise money for his burial.

Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution, or BSTI, has set a maximum limit of 2 percent for industrially produced trans fatty acids in food products to reduce risks from heart disease and other non-communicable diseases. The standard covers edible oil, vanaspati, laccha semai, cakes, chips and chanachur, according to information released on August 17, 2026.

The measure was discussed at a stakeholder consultation held on Monday at BSTI headquarters in Tejgaon, Dhaka, jointly organized by BSTI and the National Heart Foundation of Bangladesh. The meeting focused on encouraging production of trans-fat-free edible oil and PHO, or partially hydrogenated oil, in Bangladesh. BSTI Director General Kazi Imdadul Haque, Professor Dr. Sohel Reza Choudhury and Professor Dr. Md. Abdul Alim attended.

Senior officials from edible-oil producing and refining companies, as well as research institutions, joined the consultation. The BSTI chief said producers and businesses have an important role in ensuring safe, trans-fat-free food, with actions to be coordinated while considering industry constraints, technical capacity and production processes. As part of implementing the 2021 TFA control regulations, BSTI has revised national standards for vanaspati and non-dairy vegetable ghee.

Khulna Medical University is preparing to begin academic activities five years after its establishment, with master's admissions expected to start next January after preparations are completed. The Health Education and Family Welfare Division issued an order on August 12 approving Khulna Specialized Hospital as the campus for the university's medical, academic, research and administrative operations. The university was established in 2021.

The institution has lacked its own building or campus and has been running administrative work from a rented building in the Nirala residential area of Khulna city, with 36 officers and employees. Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Rafiqus Saleheen said approval to use the specialized hospital marked a major achievement and would open a new chapter in healthcare, health education and medical research in the Khulna region.

Saleheen said master's programmes would have limited student numbers, reducing the need for large classrooms or galleries, while the hospital has sufficient professors and associate professors on posting and deputation. Land acquisition for a 100-acre permanent campus is under way. The master plan includes a 1,000-bed hospital, housing, a dedicated cancer unit, preventive care arrangements and other facilities.

The government has issued a notification cancelling the 2026 essential medicines list and the allopathic drug pricing method, following a cabinet decision. The notification was issued on 16 August by the Drug Administration branch of the Health Services Division under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and was signed by Senior Assistant Secretary Rafiquzzaman.

The two cancelled notifications had been issued on 22 January and published in the gazette on 29 January. The cabinet decided to revoke them at its 3 August meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The Cabinet Division said the National Drug Advisory Council had not been consulted before the measures were formulated, despite a requirement under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 2023.

The legality of the January list and pricing method was challenged before the High Court and remains under consideration. A National Drug Advisory Council was formed on 29 June, and the cabinet approved a proposal to include the director general of the Directorate General of Health Services in it. The 1994 essential medicines list and government pricing system will remain in force while the list is updated.