As Bangladesh struggles to contain its worst measles outbreak in years, a fresh surge in dengue infections is raising concerns among citizens and health experts over the country’s capacity to handle two major public health threats simultaneously.

The death of another dengue patient on June 1 and detection of 110 new cases across the country have sparked fears that the mosquito-borne disease is once again gathering momentum ahead of the monsoon.

The latest fatality, reported from Khulna City Corporation, brought this year’s dengue death toll to six, while the total number of infections climbed to 3,307, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The death was reported at a time when the country’s healthcare system is already under immense strain from a widespread measles outbreak that has infected tens of thousands of children and claimed hundreds of lives since March.

A healthcare system under pressure

Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has reported 529 suspected and 91 confirmed deaths (total 620 deaths) from measles and related symptoms since March 15. It also reported 64,263 suspected measles cases and 9,686 laboratory-confirmed infections .

Hospitals across the country, particularly paediatric units, have been struggling to cope with the influx of patients requiring intensive care, isolation facilities, ventilatory support and infection-control management.

Media reports have showed the growing financial strain on families caring for measles patients, particularly children requiring hospitalisation. While treatment costs are relatively lower at government hospitals, many families face significantly higher expenses when patients must be transferred between multiple healthcare facilities. The burden is even greater for those seeking care in private hospitals.