Health minister blames past govts for 1,084 measles deaths
Photo: Agamir Somoy
Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said the negligence of two previous governments caused thousands of child deaths from measles and measles symptoms.
He made these remarks as the chief guest on Saturday at the opening ceremony of the “Nationwide Special Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign-2026” held at the T&T playground in Mohakhali, Dhaka.
According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), measles and measles symptoms have claimed 1,084 lives in the country this year. Out of these, 101 individuals died from confirmed measles, whereas 983 individuals died with measles symptoms.
So far, the country has recorded 21,015 confirmed measles infections, while the total count of suspected patients stands at 1,85,833.
Sakhawat said, “The nation had to pay the price for the negligence of the previous government - the lack of effective continuation of the routine vaccination program from December 2020 to April 2026, and long delays in importing vaccines from abroad under the pretext of an open tender system.”
Describing every child’s death as shameful for the government, he noted, “Out of nearly 18.5 million children, around 1,000 children died from measles. Every child’s death is extremely painful and a matter of shame for the government.
“Due to four years of negligence and delay in the measles vaccination program during the ousted Awami League government and the interim government, many children lost their lives.”
Asserting that the BNP government moved promptly to handle the crisis, Sakhawat said, “After assuming responsibility, the government took swift action to implement a large-scale vaccination program nationwide. The program was intensified from 20 April. Under this, nearly 18.5 million children have been vaccinated so far.”
The health minister announced that health authorities established a target to bring another 3.4 million children who were left out of the campaign under vaccination. The special immunization drive for children aged 6 months to 59 months will run until 31 October.
Moreover, officials have stored one million vaccines in reserve for emergency requirements, and health workers will continue administering these doses under the routine immunization program.
Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan presided over the gathering. Secretary Bazlur Rashid, Additional Director General Zahid Raihan, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Gillian Mellsop, and World Health Organization (WHO) Deputy Representative Rajesh Narwal attended the event among others.
