PM Hasina receives Vaccine Hero Award in New York

The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation or GAVI honoured Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her success in immunisation in Bangladesh.

GAVI Board Chair Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala handed the award to the Bangladesh prime minister on Monday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Hasina was applauded for the success in immunisation in Bangladesh, especially for her role in eliminating polio and curtailing diphtheria, hepatitis-B and rubella.

Okonjo-Iweala, former finance minister of Nigeria, delivered a felicitation speech on the occasion.

“This is an award for those who have set out a clear ambition and displayed urgency to providing life-saving vaccines for children and ensuring that no child is left out,” Okonjo-Iweala said in her speech.

“Sheikh Hasina is a true champion of immunisation as well as the rights of children and women’s empowerment,” she said.  

GAVI, a Switzerland-based organisation, also known as the vaccine alliance, works to save the lives of millions of children globally by providing vaccines to them.

Hasina has always promoted the immunisation programme and she is a political leader who opted for different measures to keep the children free from diseases, said GAVI Chief Executive Seth Barkley.

“She is a consistent champion of immunisation,” Barkley said. 

Hasina dedicated the Vaccine Hero award to the people of Bangladesh.

The immunisation programme became popular in Bangladesh during Hasina’s 16 years of rule.

She initiated the immunisation programme when she came to power for the first time in 1996, Hasina said in her speech.

“I initiated the immunisation programme in 1996 after forming the government. At the beginning, the people were reluctant but I personally went to them and began to apply vaccine.”

“Gradually the people became aware and began to participate in the immunisation programme,” said Hasina.

She called for everyone’s participation in the immunisation programme.

“Immunisation has been the greatest public health success story in Bangladesh,” said Hasina.

She thanked the Vaccine Alliance and other partners for their continued support and contributions in the sector.

Dedicated vaccine centres, and over 18,000 community clinics and union health centres are providing vaccination services across Bangladesh.

“Ensuring health and nutrition to all has always been a commitment to our people. Through Visions 2021 and 2041, we want to take the country to a stage which would be able to ensure basic health care and sufficient nutrition for all,” said the prime minister.

As part of the government’s continuous efforts to achieve the goals under SDGs, national DTP3 coverage has increased to 98 percent from 85 percent, MCV1 to 97 percent from 77 percent and overall vaccine coverage in all districts increased to more than 82 percent during the last 5 years, Hasina said as she highlighted the expansion of the immunisation programme.

She also mentioned the immunisation programme the government adopted for the 1.1 million ‘forcibly displaced Rohingyas’ in Cox’s Bazar.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Malik were present at the award ceremony.