Diseases Like Dengue, Polio, and Hanta Glare at Our Lives: Health Minister

In an effort to bolster the government’s ongoing Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Sinovac Foundation, a subsidiary of China's Sinovac Biotech Ltd., has donated 383,000 doses of Polio vaccines to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

A grant acceptance ceremony was organized on Wednesday morning at the conference room of the Health Ministry in the Secretariat.

Health Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain attended the event as the chief guest. Invited guests included Li Shaopeng, Cultural Counselor of the Chinese Embassy, and Li Ning, Chief Business Director of Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

The vaccine shipment from Sinovac has already been delivered to the EPI storage facilities.

The Health Minister expressed his gratitude to China for the vaccine donation during this critical time for Bangladesh. He remarked that China has once again proven itself to be an economic friend to Bangladesh. He noted that while arrangements for Measles vaccines have been made, diseases such as Dengue, Polio, and Hanta are now posing significant threats. Overcoming these challenges is a priority for the government. However, he reassured the public that there is no shortage of vaccines for diseases like Polio and Tuberculosis, and vaccination programs for these are ongoing.

The Health Minister informed that almost all children between the ages of 6 months and 5 years have received the Measles vaccine, and the remaining children will be vaccinated soon.

The Minister also announced that a "Vitamin-A Capsule Campaign" will begin shortly. Regarding Dengue, he stated that various field hospitals are ready as part of the preparation, and their numbers will be increased if necessary.

Other attendees at the ceremony included Huang Mocheng, Second Secretary of the Chinese Embassy; Wang Peng, Head of International Regulatory Affairs at Sinovac Biotech Ltd.; and relevant officials from the Bangladesh government.