The government of Bangladesh has moved swiftly to contain the ongoing measles outbreak by reallocating funds and securing a large supply of vaccines, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain told Parliament on Wednesday.
Responding to a call attention notice raised by opposition lawmaker Rumeen Farhana, the minister said Tk604 crore from previously unspent pandemic funds has been redirected to support emergency vaccine procurement and strengthen the immunisation response.
He noted that approximately 2.19 crore doses of measles vaccines have already been secured with assistance from global partners, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In addition, procurement worth Tk419 crore is currently in its final stages to further reinforce supply.
To avoid delays and ensure transparency, the government has opted to bypass conventional tender procedures and instead procure vaccines directly through UNICEF.
The minister confirmed that 41 deaths have so far been officially verified as measles-related by both World Health Organisation and UNICEF.
As part of the emergency response, a vaccination campaign began on 5 April in high-risk areas. The programme is set to expand from 12 April to cover Dhaka North and South city corporations, along with other major urban centres.
Although Dhaka was not initially identified as a high-risk zone by international partners, the government has decided to include the capital in the expanded campaign as a precautionary measure.
The minister acknowledged that the current administration inherited a severe shortage of vaccines due to past mismanagement, leaving stocks nearly depleted.
He said urgent financial and administrative steps have been taken to rebuild the supply chain and ensure uninterrupted immunisation.
Highlighting improvements in the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), he said the government is shifting to multi-dose vaccine vials to enhance storage efficiency and comply with WHO cold chain standards.
Addressing operational challenges, the minister also mentioned that steps are underway to clear outstanding salaries of field-level health workers within the next few days to ensure the smooth implementation of the vaccination drive.
Earlier, Rumeen Farhana expressed concern over higher-than-reported fatalities and warned about the long-term health risks of measles, particularly its potential to weaken children’s immune systems.
She also raised alarms over shortages of several routine vaccines.
In response, the minister assured lawmakers that the situation is gradually stabilising under the leadership of Tarique Rahman.
He said the government is now better prepared to manage the outbreak, adding that vaccine supplies are improving and comprehensive measures are in place to safeguard children’s health across the country.
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