Measles surge stems from past vaccination gaps: Health minister tells parliament
He also clarified an earlier statement made to journalists on 29 March, where he had said measles vaccination had not been conducted for the past eight years, which had raised concern among field-level health workers
Health and Family Welfare Minister Md Sardar Sakhawat Husain today (6 April) told Parliament that the recent surge in measles cases in Bangladesh stems from vaccination gaps and mismanagement by previous governments, including the immediate past interim administration.
Responding to a notice raised by National Citizen Party (NCP) MP Akhter Hossen, he said the country's last special measles-rubella vaccination campaign was conducted in December 2020 and has not been repeated in over five and a half years, although such campaigns are scheduled every four years.
"As a result, many children, including newborns, have remained outside the vaccination coverage and are now infected with measles," the minister said.
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He also clarified an earlier statement made to journalists on 29 March, where he had said measles vaccination had not been conducted for the past eight years, which had raised concern among field-level health workers.
In his notice, Akhter Hossen said suspected measles-related deaths have exceeded 115 in the past three weeks, with 20 confirmed cases.
He also alleged that thousands of children have been infected by the disease and highlighted serious gaps in healthcare facilities, including a lack of isolation wards, ICUs, and NICUs at district and upazila-level hospitals, particularly in the Rajshahi region.
The NCP lawmaker further noted that although measles vaccination in Bangladesh typically begins at nine months of age, children as young as six months are now being infected, sparking concerns over surveillance and diagnosis.
In response, the minister said emergency vaccination drives have already begun in 30 high-risk upazilas across 18 districts from April 5 under the directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
The campaign targets children aged 6 to 59 months, with a goal of vaccinating 12 lakh children in the first phase.
"On the first day, 73,000 children were vaccinated against a target of 76,000 in 30 upazilas, achieving 96% coverage," Sakhawat said.
The programme will be expanded to Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Barishal city corporations from 12 April, with a nationwide rollout scheduled from 3 May.
Simultaneously, vitamin A capsules are also being administered.
Addressing concerns about hospital readiness, the minister said isolation wards have been set up in government hospitals nationwide.
In Rajshahi, an additional 250 isolation beds are being prepared, he said, adding that ICU and ventilation facilities are being strengthened, and a low-cost oxygen delivery system developed by icddr,b is being deployed.
Sakhawat also said the government is procuring vaccines on an emergency basis and that the World Bank has assured support, including loans and grants, to help combat the outbreak.
In a supplementary question, Akhter Hossen alleged persistent field-level mismanagement, saying that despite budget allocations, patients are not receiving adequate isolation or ICU support.
He also noted that around 25% of the health sector budget remains unspent, including Tk11,000 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
In reply, the minister said Tk604 crore in unspent funds from the Covid-19 period is being used to procure additional measles vaccines through Unicef.
He added that all leave for health workers has been cancelled to strengthen field-level supervision, and coordination with development partners, including the World Bank and Unicef, has been intensified.
