DHAKA, Sept. 26 — Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said 1 crore 85 lakh 833 children have so far received vaccines under the nationwide measles-rubella vaccination program. He made the remarks Saturday at the opening of the special nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign 2026.
The health minister said a government must always remain alert in dealing with infectious diseases. After Dec. 20, 2020, he said, the government was responsible for holding a mass vaccination program against such epidemics once every four years. But vaccination remained suspended from 2020 until April 2026.
He said the previous government wanted to use an open tender process for vaccine procurement instead of direct purchase through UNICEF’s delegated method. Foreign agencies repeatedly requested otherwise, but those requests were not heeded, causing delays. After taking office, the current government had to pay the price for the four-year gap, he said.
The minister said many mothers suffered in the situation and many lost children. He said about one thousand children had died among 1 crore 85 lakh 833 patients. Even the death of one child is deeply sad, he said, adding that the loss is also painful for a mother.
He said vaccination began April 5 after the government took responsibility. In the first phase, UNICEF carried out work in three designated phases across 18 districts. Dhaka and two other major city corporations were added in the next phase. Although the next phase was scheduled to begin May 4, it was moved up to April 20 and launched nationwide. He said 1 crore 85 lakh children were vaccinated under the program.
The health minister said nutrition deficiencies had also been found among children infected with measles. Doctors say pneumonia, along with malnutrition, is one of the main causes of death among children with measles. When children lack adequate nutrition, measles can quickly lead to pneumonia and severe breathing problems, he said.
He said ICDDR,B physician Chishti had developed a bottle-based CPAP system costing only Tk 150. The method was used to supply oxygen to children who could not breathe normally, helping save many children, he said.
The minister praised Bangladesh’s doctors, saying they had worked with dedication during epidemics and emergencies. He also expressed gratitude for doctors’ tireless work and sacrifice during the coronavirus pandemic.
He said Bangladesh’s dense population creates a risk of rapid measles spread. Measles is highly contagious, he said, and children close to an infected child may also become infected. Infection can also spread when multiple children share the same bed or come near an infected person, he said.
The minister said 2 crore 25 lakh children were included in the vitamin A capsule program, while 1 crore 85 lakh children received measles-rubella vaccines. Considering the gap of about 40 lakh children between the two programs, officials launched an effort to find children again. From the day after the previous campaign ended until the day after Eid ul-Adha, about 14 lakh more children were found and vaccinated, he said.
He said a new vaccination program had been taken up because measles had still not fully stopped. UNICEF supplied another 40 lakh vaccine doses within 10 days. With some earlier stock added, a catch-up campaign targeting 34 lakh children has begun. The target includes 10 lakh newborn children and 24 lakh children who were previously missed.
He said camps had started from Saturday in every union across the country, with the relevant administration, civil surgeons, UNOs and health workers coordinating in each upazila more strongly than before. He sought media support to make the program successful.
The minister said many working mothers cannot bring children to vaccination centers during the day, so vaccination has also been arranged on holidays. Vaccination will continue after evening as well, he said. The goal is to bring all children aged six months to 59 months under the campaign.
He said about 10 lakh vaccine doses would remain in stock after the campaign. Already, 43 lakh doses have been distributed to different upazilas, and vaccines are being preserved to continue the later mop-up program.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report