The Lakshmipur District Health Department has set a target to vaccinate 270,830 children against measles. The campaign will run from April 20 to May 10, 2026, covering 11 working days. The announcement was made by Civil Surgeon Dr. Abu Hasan Shahin during a briefing with journalists at the Civil Surgeon’s office on April 18. The vaccination will be administered to children aged six months to five years.

According to the district plan, 97,404 children will be vaccinated in Sadar upazila, 38,652 in Raipur, 44,997 in Ramganj, 35,500 in Kamalnagar, 36,974 in Ramgati, and 17,323 in Lakshmipur municipality. The campaign will be conducted across 1,584 centers with the participation of 183 supervisors, 200 vaccinators, and 400 volunteers.

Journalists, including the president of the Lakshmipur Press Club, attended the briefing session where the campaign details were shared.

Five children have died from measles and related symptoms across Bangladesh in the past 24 hours, with 1,278 new infections reported. Among the new cases, 127 were confirmed measles patients, while 1,115 were hospitalized with suspected symptoms. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) released these figures in a press statement on Friday, April 17, 2026.

According to the DGHS data, from March 15 to April 17, a total of 37 confirmed measles deaths and 174 suspected deaths have occurred nationwide. During the same period, 3,192 confirmed cases and 21,467 suspected cases were recorded, while 11,243 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. The highest number of suspected infections was reported in Dhaka Division, with 9,274 cases, including 1,965 confirmed infections.

The health authorities stated that continuous monitoring is underway through an integrated control center, which collects and analyzes data regularly. The DGHS has urged the public to remain alert and ensure timely medical care for affected children.

At a press briefing held on Wednesday at BIRDEM Hospital’s conference room, Professor Dr. A.K. Azad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Diabetic Association and former chairman of the Health Reform Commission, called on the government to supply insulin free of cost to Type-1 diabetes patients. He emphasized that these patients are entirely dependent on insulin for survival, comparing its necessity to oxygen and water.

Dr. Khan highlighted that the Bangladesh Diabetic Association, founded in 1956 by National Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, has expanded its services significantly over the decades. He stated that the association provides far more comprehensive care than similar organizations worldwide, which mostly focus on advocacy.

The event was attended by the association’s member secretary Muhammad Abu Taher Khan and national councillor Matiur Rahman Laltu. Dr. Khan reiterated that access to insulin is a fundamental right for citizens living with diabetes in Bangladesh.

National Professor Dr. A K Azad Khan, president of the Diabetic Association of Bangladesh and former chairman of the Health Reform Commission, has called on the government to provide insulin free of cost to type-1 diabetes patients. Speaking at a press briefing on April 15 at BIRDEM Hospital in Dhaka, he said that insulin is essential for survival and that diabetic patients have the right to live. He emphasized that type-1 patients are the most vulnerable as they depend entirely on insulin.

Dr. Azad explained that diabetes has become a global epidemic, with developing countries experiencing faster growth rates than developed ones. The Diabetic Association of Bangladesh, founded in 1956 by National Professor Mohammad Ibrahim, now operates in 61 districts with 94 affiliated members. The association provides free services worth about Tk 1.19 billion annually, while the government contributes around Tk 300 million. He added that the organization is expanding services through mosque-based initiatives and cross-financing support.

He also noted that nearly 80 percent of diabetes cases can be prevented through lifestyle changes and physical activity, stressing the importance of early prevention and public awareness.

Md. Jasim Uddin from Shariatpur donated one of his kidneys to save his wife, Minara Begum, who had been suffering from kidney failure. The transplant was successfully performed on March 5 at Shyamoli CKD and Urology Hospital in Dhaka. Following the surgery, Minara has been recovering gradually and is now living in a rented house in Dhaka with her husband and son, under medical supervision.

According to family sources, Minara’s illness began two years ago with high blood pressure and other complications, eventually leading to kidney failure and a tumor. Her mother initially volunteered to donate a kidney but was found unfit due to heart disease. Facing financial hardship and emotional distress, Jasim decided to donate his own kidney. The couple, married since 2007, have one son who studies in Dhaka.

Local residents and officials, including the chairman of Kuchaipatti Union Parishad, praised Jasim’s decision as an extraordinary example of love and selflessness that has deeply moved the community.

Bangladesh is preparing to introduce mandatory health warnings on the front of packaged food products under the Safe Food (Packaged Food Labeling) Regulations 2026. The initiative was discussed at a media workshop in Dhaka organized by PROGGA with support from the Global Health Advocacy Incubator. Officials said the draft regulation will be finalized this month and sent to the Food Ministry for review before being forwarded to the Law Ministry for approval. Once enacted, the rule will take effect six months after official notification, requiring clear front-of-pack warnings similar to those on tobacco products.

Speakers explained that the Front-of-Package Labeling (FOPL) system aims to help consumers easily understand levels of sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats in processed foods. They noted that 97 percent of Bangladeshis consume packaged foods weekly, but most cannot interpret complex nutrition data printed on the back. The FOPL model, already adopted in 44 countries, is designed to promote informed food choices and reduce health risks.

The workshop also highlighted rising consumption of ultra-processed foods and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh, including diabetes and hypertension, which contribute to 71 percent of annual deaths.

The Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) has announced a month-long measles and rubella vaccination campaign targeting 300,000 children aged six to 59 months. The campaign will begin on April 20 and continue until May 20 across health centers and hospitals in the city. Mayor Dr. Shahadat Hossain shared the details at a press conference held at the CCC Library Building near Laldighi, emphasizing the public health importance of protecting children from highly contagious diseases like measles.

To implement the program, the city’s 41 wards have been divided into seven zones, with vaccination running daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The CCC has formed 48 permanent and 205 temporary teams, along with 41 mop-up and 41 evening teams to reach missed children. Online registration using a 17-digit birth certificate is encouraged, but no child will be denied vaccination for lack of registration. Special focus will be placed on slum and high-risk areas.

The campaign is being conducted with support from the Directorate General of Health Services, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization. Mayor Hossain urged journalists, teachers, and community leaders to help ensure the success of the initiative.

Bangladesh’s health authorities have reported 166 child deaths and over 19,000 suspected measles cases in the past month, signaling a severe outbreak. The government has instructed hospitals to prepare isolation and ICU facilities, while a special vaccination campaign began on April 5 targeting children aged six months to five years. Health Minister Sardar Shakhawat Hossain Bokul attributed the crisis to missed vaccination cycles and weaknesses in vaccine supply management.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that declining immunization rates have led to measles outbreaks in 57 countries in 2023, up from 36 the previous year. The Lancet reported that 2024 and 2025 saw the highest global measles outbreaks in two decades. Experts link the resurgence to disruptions in routine immunization during the COVID-19 pandemic and rising anti-vaccine sentiment in several countries.

WHO data show that while global measles cases and deaths fell sharply between 2000 and 2024, recent outbreaks threaten to reverse progress. Researchers are investigating whether new virus variants or reduced vaccine effectiveness are contributing factors, though no evidence has yet confirmed these possibilities.

Member of Parliament Rumin Farhana told the national parliament on Thursday, April 16, 2026, that the only hospital serving around 350,000 people in nine unions of Sarail upazila, Brahmanbaria, is in a dire state. She described the 50-bed facility as being like a patient itself, highlighting its inability to meet the community’s healthcare needs.

According to her statement, the hospital faces severe shortages of doctors, staff, medicines, and modern equipment. A plan had been taken to construct a new building at a cost of 10 crore taka, but the contractor fled after August 5, leaving the project incomplete. As a result, services continue in the old two-storey building, where 64 positions remain vacant.

Her remarks underscore ongoing infrastructure and staffing challenges in rural healthcare facilities, with no immediate resolution mentioned in the parliamentary discussion.

Experts have recommended raising tobacco product prices and introducing a specific tax system in Bangladesh’s upcoming 2026–27 national budget to reduce premature deaths and increase government revenue. The proposals were presented at a media workshop titled “Tobacco Tax and Price Measures: Budget 2026–27,” held on Sunday at the BMA building in Dhaka. The event was organized by PROGGA (Knowledge for Progress) and the Anti-Tobacco Media Alliance (ATMA), with participation from 28 journalists.

According to the workshop, most cigarette users belong to low- and middle-income groups. Merging these tiers and raising prices would encourage low-income smokers to quit and discourage youth from starting. The experts proposed setting retail prices per 10-stick pack at 100 taka for the combined low and medium tier, 140–150 taka for the high tier, and 185–200 taka or more for the premium tier. They also recommended maintaining a 67 percent supplementary duty and adding a specific tax of four taka per pack.

If implemented, the measures could generate over 850 billion taka in revenue—about 440 billion more than the current fiscal year—and prevent more than 370,000 premature deaths, the workshop noted.

An emergency measles-rubella vaccination campaign began on Sunday across 540 centers under Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC). The month-long program, running from April 12 to May 11, 2026, aims to vaccinate 402,456 children aged six months to under five years. The campaign was inaugurated at the Nagar Bhaban auditorium, with Health Minister Sardar Md. Shakhawat Hossain as chief guest and State Minister for Road Transport and Railways Habibur Rashid Habib as special guest. DSCC Administrator Bir Muktijoddha Md. Abdus Salam presided over the event, attended by representatives from UNICEF and the World Health Organization.

The health minister said coordinated efforts could control measles and other infectious diseases, noting that similar programs had already started in 18 districts. He thanked UNICEF and WHO for their support and urged citizens to remain alert against dengue. The state minister described the rising measles cases as alarming and called on the media to raise awareness among working parents. DSCC officials emphasized reaching every child through community-level awareness.

Following the inauguration, officials visited the Khilgaon Maternity Center to inspect vaccination activities and participate in a cleanliness drive.

The Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) launched the 'Emergency Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026' on Sunday across 599 centers in its 10 regions. The program, running until May 11, aims to vaccinate around 500,000 children aged six months to five years. The campaign was inaugurated in the capital’s Korail area, with State Minister for Health Dr. M A Muhit as chief guest and DNCC Administrator Md. Shafiqul Islam Khan as special guest.

According to the health ministry, the vaccination drive initially began in 17 upazilas and four city corporations, with a nationwide rollout planned from April 20. DNCC has set up 54 permanent and 502 temporary centers, along with 35 evening and eight Friday centers, to ensure wide coverage. A total of 594 vaccinators, 650 volunteers, and 203 supervisors are engaged in the campaign.

DNCC officials urged all parents to bring their children to designated centers for immunization. The DNCC administrator also mentioned plans to convert the Mohakhali DNCC COVID Hospital into a general hospital to expand healthcare services using existing infrastructure.

In Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah, 23 people including women, children, and elderly residents were injured after being bitten by rabid dogs over a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday morning. The attacks occurred in several areas including Nishchintapur, Madhuganj, and Dhakalepra. Victims received treatment at Kaliganj Upazila Health Complex and local clinics, but the absence of rabies vaccines at the health center left many in distress.

Local residents reported that two aggressive dogs began attacking people across the town on Friday morning. Among the injured were a tea seller, pedestrians, and several children. Residents managed to capture one of the dogs on Friday night, but the other remained at large. Acting health officer Dr. Arun Kumar confirmed that 22 dog-bite victims and one cat-bite victim sought treatment, and due to the vaccine shortage, they were advised to obtain vaccines privately.

Kaliganj Upazila Executive Officer Rezwana Nahid said vaccines were purchased from the market for victims who approached her, and assured that the shortage at the hospital would be resolved soon.

Medical services at the Camellia Duncan Foundation Hospital in Shamshernagar, Kamalganj, Moulvibazar have remained suspended for 15 days following the death of sixth-grade student Oishi Rabidas. The 50-bed hospital, established in 1994 and serving workers from 36 tea estates owned by Duncan Brothers, has been closed since March 27. As a result, over one hundred thousand tea workers and their families are deprived of healthcare, with several reportedly dying without treatment. Many are now forced to seek costly care at government hospitals.

Local health officials confirmed that patient pressure has increased at nearby government facilities. Tea worker leaders claim three workers have died in the past week due to lack of treatment. An English delegation has visited the site, but hospital operations have not resumed. Duncan Brothers’ coordinator said a team from England is handling the issue, while the Kamalganj Upazila administration has pledged to take steps to reopen the hospital.

The hospital was shut down after workers vandalized it on March 26, following allegations of negligence in Oishi Rabidas’s death.

The Osmaninagar Upazila Health Complex in Sylhet has not yet opened a dedicated measles corner due to the absence of required administrative approval. Although hospitals were instructed to set up separate corners for measles cases, the facility remains pending approval. Since late March, only four suspected measles patients have been identified in the upazila, with two samples sent to the National Polio and Measles-Rubella Laboratory in Dhaka and two still under testing. No confirmed measles cases or related deaths have been reported so far.

Health officials stated that preventive measures have been strengthened for suspected patients, and vaccination activities have been expanded. A measles vaccination campaign is scheduled for April 20, with parents advised to remain alert. Sample collection from symptomatic patients continues across the upazila. Doctors emphasized that measles is highly contagious and that infected or symptomatic children should be isolated to prevent spread.

Separately, a One Stop Service Center for senior citizens has been launched at the same health complex to provide faster and prioritized medical services, inaugurated on January 15 by the Sylhet Civil Surgeon.