World News for Students of English

21-10-2026 07:00

Bangladesh is struggling with a measles outbreak which caused thousands of hospitalizations and over 1,100 deaths, mostly among young children.

The crisis started after political protests in 2025 disrupted routine healthcare and vaccination programs. Because fewer children received their shots, national immunity fell below safe levels. The government quickly organized an emergency vaccination campaign, but it missed millions of children due to bad planning, missing data, and a lack of outreach in rural villages. Many parents reported that health workers never visited their homes before their children fell sick.

Experts say this health emergency is a strong warning to other countries about the importance of keeping vaccination rates high. Without strong immunization programs, preventable diseases can quickly return and kill thousands of people.

Difficult words: measles (a dangerous disease which causes a fever and a red rash on the skin), hospitalization (taking someone to a hospital), outreach (providing services or medical help directly to people in local communities), preventable (able to be stopped before it happens).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.