Bangladesh recorded 194 child deaths due to measles in an outbreak that began last month, while the number of suspected child cases exceeded 28,000, the government data showed on Thursday.

Between three and five children died from the disease every day for the past week. Five children died on Wednesday, including three in the capital Dhaka, and another five on Thursday.

The government said it launched a robust nationwide vaccination programme since the outbreak began on March 15, the worst in the South Asian nation for decades.

“Our target is to vaccinate 18 million children,” health department spokesman Zahid Raihan told AFP.

“So far, we have covered a little over one-fourth of our target, and it may take another two weeks to see the impact of this vaccination programme.”

Md Sajib and Afsin Meem lost their three-year-old son, their only child, on Tuesday, and a photograph of a relative carrying his tiny body along a road was shared extensively on news sites.