Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain has announced that Bangladesh will initiate its second phase of a special measles immunization campaign on 25 September to curb ongoing infections across the country.
Addressing reporters at the University Women’s Federation in Dhanmondi, Dhaka, following a seminar organized by the Association for Disabled People (ADP) and Rotary Club Ahsan Manjil to mark World Suicide Prevention Day, the minister confirmed that the vast majority of required vaccines have already arrived via UNICEF. The remaining doses are scheduled to land in the country by 17 September.
Discussing the scale of the public health initiative, the minister noted that the government previously executed a follow-up mop-up campaign after measles transmissions persisted despite initial vaccination drives. That specific drive successfully inoculated an additional 1.4 million children nationwide.
Detailing the logistical challenges inherited by the administration, Minister Hossain pointed out that the previous government had left no domestic vaccine stockpiles. In response, the current administration secured enough doses for 18.5 million children within a remarkably brief 21-day window, ensuring the successful execution of the primary immunisation rounds.
Beyond the measles drive, the minister addressed the escalating dengue situation in Bangladesh. To alleviate pressure on tertiary care facilities in Dhaka, regional and grassroots healthcare centres are being fortified. Isolation beds have been prepared across district and sub-district hospitals, alongside mobile hospital facilities ready for deployment. The government is actively collaborating with the Society of Medicine to provide instructions to sub-district doctors, ensuring patients receive adequate treatment locally without overwhelming central metropolitan hospitals.
