Hundreds of children die within months as measles cases soar in Bangladesh

Akira was always a fast learner, her father Al Amin says with pride.

At 6 months she was already saying her first words. At just over 4 years old, she had started to say some words in English.

"She was never short of love from both families. She was the crown of all."

Al Amin, who lives with with his family in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, says his daughter had all her vaccines, apart from measles.

They took her four times to get it; twice she was turned away because she had a cold. "Don't stress," he says the health care worker told them, "the vaccine can be administered up until she reaches 5." The third and fourth time, he says, they were told the vaccine was unavailable.

On 8 March Al Amin took Akira to hospital, suffering with what he thought was a normal fever. She improved, went home, then started developing a rash, a high fever and sores in her mouth. She was discharged and readmitted to hospital a total of five times, Al Amin says; only on the fifth occasion did a doctor tell him she was suffering from measles.

Akira was put on life support. She died 27 days after she was first admitted.

Over 500 children with suspected and confirmed cases of measles have died in Bangladesh since March, according to the country's health ministry.