September 15, 2026
Dhaka – When we see news reports that deaths from measles have exceeded 1,000, we stop, express our concern, and discuss what to do. But a few days later, another story emerged. But for the mother who lost a child or the father who buried a son or daughter, this death cannot be just a number. A thousand deaths means 1,000 people, a thousand families, and an extraordinary number of incomplete futures. Behind every death is a face, a family and a story. However, public health discussions can reduce these lives into mere statistics. The most important question is not how high the number would rise, but how many of these deaths could have been prevented in the first place.
As measles cases and deaths continue despite vaccination, there is of course a gap somewhere in the system. Not every eligible child may receive vaccines on time, while some affected children may not receive appropriate and timely treatment. Family awareness, financial difficulties, delays in seeking care, and limitations in the availability or quality of health services may play a role. Severe malnutrition among affected children may increase the risk of death. Reducing measles deaths therefore requires more than simply increasing vaccination coverage. Children missed by vaccination programs must be identified and reached effectively, while affected children need timely and appropriate care. Vaccination is not the responsibility of health workers alone; Families, communities, local administrations, educational institutions and the health system have a role to play.
We need to know where children are being missed, which communities are most at risk, and why some families cannot get vaccinated. This information should be regularly analyzed and translated into action. At the same time, children who contract measles must be able to reach appropriate facilities without delay and receive quality treatment. Here prevention and treatment must go hand in hand.
When a child dies, the family doesn’t want to know which government agency is responsible for which part of the process. All they want to know is why their child can’t be saved? There is no simple answer. Not all death has the same cause. Some patients may have arrived too late, others may have complications, and in other cases, limitations in access to quality health care may be a contributing factor. It is therefore unfair to blame one person or institution simply because deaths occur. But unless the conditions behind these deaths are systematically examined, the same problems will continue to persist. The same concern applies to dengue fever. So far this year, deaths have exceeded 140 and are expected to rise. If we take precedence, we will receive updated numbers, headlines will make, social media will be filled with discussion, and officials will express concern. As time passes, another issue will soon take its place. The question here is: Will we simply continue counting deaths?
The fight against dengue cannot be reduced to anti-mosquito campaigns during the monsoon. It requires year-round monitoring, elimination of breeding sites, environmental management, identification of high-risk areas, public awareness and timely treatment. These components must work together if we are to reduce deaths. Most importantly, every death due to measles or dengue should trigger a mortality review or mortality review. In cases of dengue fever, we should examine when symptoms began, when treatment was first sought, where care was received, when the patient was admitted, whether warning signs were recognized, and whether necessary investigations and treatments were provided promptly.
For measles, we must examine whether the child has received the required vaccination, and if not, why. We should also evaluate access to health care and treatment provided after diagnosis. The purpose of these reviews should not be punishment, but rather prevention. Every death should provide lessons that can help save the next life. Mortality statistics are also a mirror of our health system. A child might be registered as a “child” in a national statistic, but for that family, that child was their entire world. For this reason, we do not need a politics of blame, but a culture of accountability.
First, measles vaccination gaps should be identified down to the union and ward levels. Missing children should be tracked effectively, with services brought closer to their families. Second, dengue surveillance and mosquito control activities should continue throughout the year. Increased cases, mosquito densities and breeding sites should be detected early so that action can begin before transmission intensifies. Third, primary health facilities and hospitals need to be better prepared to respond to dengue. Health workers should be able to recognize warning signs, conduct necessary investigations, follow standard treatment protocols, and refer patients immediately when needed. Fourth, epidemiological surveillance needs to be strengthened. It is not enough to publish numbers when the outbreak is already severe. Data should provide early warning and link directly to decisions and rapid response. Fifth, local government, health authorities, educational institutions, city corporations, media, and civil society must work together. After all, measles and dengue are not problems for one ministry; These are broader challenges facing public health that require coordinated action.
Our experience during Covid also offers useful lessons. Depending on the situation, selected facilities, including the Upazila Health Complex, District Hospital and Children’s Hospitals, may be equipped on emergency basis to manage measles and dengue cases. Health workers and telemedicine platforms such as Shasto Bataillon can also support early detection, counseling and referral. People who develop symptoms should be encouraged to seek advice immediately and access the appropriate facility when necessary. Above all, political and administrative commitment is essential. Public health requires sustainable investment. Essential services should not disappear just because a particular project or funding cycle ends. Disease prevention cannot rely only on seasonal campaigns or short-term projects. Perhaps it would be helpful to be more in touch with something more important: our sense of humanity. Are we so accustomed to death that we express sadness for a while and then return to our normal lives? Have we become a society in which one death is a tragedy, ten deaths are news, and a thousand deaths are just a statistic? It shouldn’t be like that.
The primary responsibility of the state and society is to protect human life, especially when it comes to children. There is still time to change course. We can prevent more measles deaths and reverse the rising trend in dengue deaths, but only if we move beyond the census and start learning from every death. When the Directorate General of Health Services announces the next number of deaths, let us ask more than just how many people we have lost, but rather why we have lost them. Where did the system fail? More importantly, how can we save the next child?
It is important not to forget that public health success is measured not just by numbers vaccinated, patients treated, meetings held, or campaigns conducted – but by lives saved. Therefore, this is not the time to simply count deaths. It’s time to see the humans behind every number, identify preventable failures, and demand accountability. Above all, it is time to stop counting deaths and start preventing them.
Dr Syed Abdul Hamid is a Professor at the Institute of Health Economics, Dhaka University and convener of the Alliance for Health Reforms in Bangladesh (AHRB).
