The government has approved in principle a proposal to procure vaccines used under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) for the current financial year, FY26, through the Direct Procurement Method (DPM).
The decision was taken at the first meeting of the Advisers Council Committee on Economic Affairs this year, held on Tuesday at the Cabinet Division Conference Room in the Bangladesh Secretariat. The meeting was chaired by Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed.
Under the proposal, the vaccines will be procured through a project titled “Loan 4078 (COL)/4079-BAN: Responsive COVID-19 Vaccines for Recovery Project under the Asia Pacific Vaccines Access Facility (APVAX).” The project is aimed at ensuring continued access to essential vaccines as part of the country’s public health response and recovery efforts.
The Health Services Division placed the proposal before the committee. Following discussions, the committee recommended the plan for approval in principle, paving the way for the procurement process to proceed.
The Expanded Programme on Immunisation plays a central role in preventing vaccine-preventable diseases and maintaining public health coverage across the country. The use of the Direct Procurement Method is expected to facilitate timely and uninterrupted vaccine supply during the ongoing fiscal year.
