At least 25 children from Baiga and Gond tribal communities have died in a suspected measles and malaria outbreak in remote villages of Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, with health officials coming under scrutiny over delayed detection and limited healthcare access.
Children fell ill as healthcare remained out of reach
In villages near Kanha National Park, families reported children developing high fever, rashes, vomiting, cough, swollen eyes and whitish spots in the mouth.
Mahasingh Parte of the Baiga community lost his four-year-old son Samlu and six-year-old daughter Shamku in May after both developed severe symptoms. The family initially sought help from a traditional faith healer before the children died at home.
Parte said none of his five children had been immunised against any disease. The nearest health sub-centre, around 5 km away, reportedly had no doctor.
Other families described similar experiences. Several children remained sick for weeks without receiving timely medical attention. In Bondari village, two children from the same family died in June after suffering symptoms consistent with measles and malaria.
Health teams arrived only after deaths mounted
The outbreak remained largely undetected until several children had died. A local anganwadi worker reportedly knew about deaths in one village but did not report them.
The health department began taking action after the ninth death on July 22. Officials later identified a wider outbreak affecting tribal settlements in the region.
Government records accessed by Scroll showed that only nine of the 25 deceased children had received some medical treatment. Officials and local representatives have put the reported death toll at 29.
Health officials said malnutrition and malaria may have worsened measles infections among affected children.
Remote villages struggle with roads and trust
Poor roads, the absence of frontline health workers and limited access to medical facilities have deepened the crisis. Some villagers said sick patients have to be carried on bamboo poles because ambulances cannot reach their settlements.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited affected villages on August 29 and announced Rs 2 lakh compensation for 22 families.
The outbreak has raised concerns over vaccination coverage, disease surveillance and the need for reliable healthcare services in remote tribal communities.