Health minister slates failures of Awami League, interim rules for measles surge

Sakhawat says no special measles vaccination campaign has been held since December 2020

Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain Bakul has blamed the “mismanagement and failures” by both the Awami League government and interim administration for the surge in measles cases.

On Monday, he said the last special measles-rubella vaccination campaign was held in December 2020, more than five years ago, although such campaigns are supposed to occur every four years.

As a result, newborns and other children missed immunisation and are now among the infected.

“The complete mismanagement and failure of past governments… I am referring to both the ‘fascist’ and the interim administrations. Their mistakes have increased the outbreak,” he said.

Responding to a notice by NCP MP Akhter Hossen on Monday, the minister added that shortsighted decisions by previous administrations had created vaccine stock shortages, affecting measles and six other types of vaccines.

Highlighting the urgency, Akhter said over the past three weeks there have been more than 115 suspected measles deaths, with 20 confirmed, and thousands of children affected.

He also noted the lack of isolation wards at district and Upazila hospitals, especially in Rajshahi, and questioned why even 6-month-old infants were now being infected.

The health minister said an emergency vaccination drive began on Apr 5 in 18 districts and 30 high-risk Upazilas, targeting children aged six months to under five years.

The first phase aims to vaccinate 1.2 million children, and on the opening day, 73,000 out of 76,000 targeted children were immunised -- 96 percent coverage.

The campaign will expand to Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Barishal city corporations from Apr 12 and to the rest of the country from May 3. Vitamin A supplementation has also started.

On hospital readiness, the minister said isolation wards have been established nationwide, with 250 additional beds in Rajshahi.

ICU and ventilator preparations include a low-cost oxygen delivery system developed by ICDDR,B, costing Tk 300 per patient.

The government is procuring new vaccines with World Bank support and coordinating with UNICEF and other development partners.

All field health worker leave has been cancelled to strengthen monitoring.