Who is Responsible

Many have blamed the interim government for the measles vaccine crisis in the country. UNICEF has stated that changes in the vaccine procurement process during that period delayed timely vaccine supplies. However, public health experts say the initiative to reduce donor dependency was originally planned during the tenure of the previous Awami League government.

Former Chief Scientific Officer of the Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR) and public health expert Mushtaq Hossain said the interim government introduced changes to the vaccine procurement system, but the process lacked adequate preparation, which disrupted immunisation activities. He added that the process had actually begun earlier, around 2022. He also noted that vaccine supply gaps during the COVID-19 period further fuelled the measles outbreak. Several public health experts said the current crisis reflects a long-standing neglect of public health priorities. They argued that without the high number of measles-related child deaths, the issue might have remained overlooked. They also said government officials often fail to follow expert recommendations or heed warnings from the World Health Organization.

The first vaccine supply chain collapsed during the COVID-19 period, public health experts said. A large number of children missed vaccination campaigns in 2020–2021. Experts said an urgent catch-up campaign should have been conducted for those children, but it was not implemented. From 2022, the then Awami League government began considering changes in the vaccine procurement system and planned to shift toward direct government procurement. This plan later turned into an initiative under the interim government, which contributed to delays in vaccine supply. After 2024, measles vaccination campaigns were also halted, leaving many children unprotected and weakening herd immunity. As a result, Bangladesh, once cited as a model for measles vaccination, is now witnessing preventable child deaths every day, according to leading public health experts.

Internationally based public health expert Ishtiaq Mannan alleged that at least 70 percent of infected children had not received vaccination. He said policymakers failed to anticipate that supply disruptions could lead to such a situation, and added that their decisions have pushed the country into a measles epidemic, resulting in child deaths.

UNICEF recently claimed in a consultation meeting that it had warned the interim government at least 16 times about a potential vaccine shortage through letters and meetings. It said it sent five to six letters to the Ministry of Health and held around 10 meetings with government officials, and also informed officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Despite these warnings, UNICEF said the interim government’s changes in the procurement process delayed the arrival of vaccines in the country.

The government launched the Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme (HPNSP) in 1998 with donor support to strengthen the health sector. The five-year programme, known as a sector programme, also supported the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) nationwide. Until now, Bangladesh has procured vaccines through UNICEF with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a globally recognised public-private partnership. This was implemented through operational plans (OPs). After the July uprising, the interim government decided to abandon the OP system and move toward direct vaccine procurement.

Public health expert Mushtaq Hossain highlighted the positive intent behind the interim government’s decision, saying that reducing donor dependency and gradually moving away from the sector programme was a commendable goal. However, he said the implementation was flawed, which contributed to the current measles outbreak across the country.

Repeated attempts to contact Special Assistant to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of the interim government, Professor Sayedur Rahman, went unanswered.