Bangladesh’s measles outbreak has created not only a public health emergency but also a serious financial burden for affected households, with many families forced to borrow money or use up their savings to meet treatment-related costs.
An assessment conducted by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) found that 89 per cent of affected families had taken loans to cover medical treatment and associated expenses. At the same time, 61 per cent had been compelled to draw on their savings. The findings indicate that families facing the immediate health risks of measles are also being pushed into financial insecurity, potentially undermining their ability to cope with future emergencies.
The assessment, whose findings were released in a statement on 3 July, examined the social and economic consequences of the outbreak and sought to identify the needs of affected households. It surveyed 2,746 families whose patients were receiving treatment at 12 government medical colleges and district hospitals across the country.
The financial burden extended well beyond the direct cost of medical care. Families reported having to pay for transport, food, diagnostic tests and other daily necessities while caring for sick relatives. For households with limited incomes, these additional expenses can quickly become overwhelming, particularly when treatment requires prolonged hospital stays.
Children accounted for the overwhelming majority of patients covered by the assessment. Some 75 per cent were under four years old, while 19 per cent were aged between five and 17. Only 6 per cent were over 18. The figures underline the particular pressure faced by families with young children, who often require close and continuous care. When parents or other income earners remain at hospital for extended periods, households can suffer not only from increased expenditure but also from a loss of earnings.
On average, each affected family spent Tk 16,000 on treatment and related costs. Four per cent of households said they had sold assets to meet those expenses, while nearly 3 per cent had relied on donations. For families already living close to the poverty line, such coping strategies can have consequences long after the immediate health crisis has passed.
Among households that provided occupational information, 78 per cent were dependent on informal-sector employment. Their monthly incomes ranged from Tk 6,000 to Tk 20,000, leaving little room to absorb unexpected medical expenses. The assessment found that some family members had lost income because they had to stay with patients in hospital, while others reportedly lost their jobs altogether.
The experience of Hazera Khatun, from Rangpur, illustrates the scale of the financial strain faced by some families. In June, she travelled to Dhaka with her 11-month-old daughter for treatment at Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital. She said the family had already spent more than Tk 70,000 on her daughter’s treatment.
Although medical treatment at government hospitals is provided free of charge in many cases, Hazera said families still have to bear the cost of reaching hospital, food, diagnostic tests and other necessities. The ambulance journey to Dhaka alone cost her around Tk 20,000. She borrowed money from relatives to manage the expenses. Her husband works in Saudi Arabia, but the family’s financial difficulties were compounded because he had not received his salary during the period in question.
The assessment also highlighted the immediate priorities identified by affected households. All participating families said they needed financial assistance to cope with the current situation. Medicines were identified as the top priority by 35 per cent of families, while 33 per cent sought support related to water, sanitation and hygiene. Another 22 per cent said food assistance was an urgent need.
Based on vulnerability criteria developed from the assessment, plans were made to provide emergency cash assistance to 2,400 of the most severely affected families. Each household is expected to receive Tk 10,000. The support is intended to help ease immediate financial pressures arising from treatment costs, food, transport and lost income.
BDRCS Secretary-General Kabir M Ashraf Alam said the assessment showed that many families were facing health and financial crises simultaneously. Alongside cash assistance for the most vulnerable households, he said, awareness-raising activities were also being conducted within communities.
Alberto Bocanegra, head of delegation of the IFRC in Bangladesh, said the impact of a health emergency such as a measles outbreak does not end with hospital treatment. Families may lose income or employment when members have to spend long periods caring for sick relatives. The situation therefore underlines the need to combine medical assistance with humanitarian support and effective social protection during public health emergencies.
Meanwhile, with support from the IFRC and other partners, BDRCS is assisting the government’s nationwide measles vaccination programme. More than 1,000 Red Crescent volunteers are involved in efforts to raise awareness, support vaccination centres and encourage people to receive vaccines.
The assessment has brought renewed attention to an often-overlooked consequence of disease outbreaks: the financial damage suffered by families. Controlling measles requires effective vaccination and public health measures, but the experience of affected households suggests that support must also extend beyond the health system. For many families, the illness of a child can mean depleted savings, new debts, lost earnings and, in some cases, the sale of essential assets. Addressing those economic pressures alongside disease prevention will be crucial to helping vulnerable households recover from the wider impact of the outbreak.
