No measles vaccination, Vitamin A campaigns held during interim govt's tenure: Health minister

Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain today (17
May) said not only measles vaccination campaigns but also Vitamin A capsule
distribution campaigns for children were not conducted during the tenure of the
interim government.
He made the remarks while speaking
at a seminar titled "Public Awareness and Prevention are the Best
Scientific Measures for Controlling Measles and Dengue," organised by the
Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Hall of
the Jaitya Press Club in the capital.
"Vitamin A campaigns are
supposed to be conducted twice a year. One campaign was held during the first
half of last year, but after that no Vitamin A campaign took place and now
there is a severe shortage of Vitamin A capsules," the minister said.
He said the government currently has only a limited stock of Vitamin A capsules
which are being distributed in small quantities.
"We have already made the payment,
and UNICEF is expected to supply the Vitamin A capsules by June 10. I spoke to
them four days ago and requested them to provide the measles vaccine as quickly
as possible," he said.
Bangladesh is expected to receive
more than 10 million Vitamin A capsules within the next five to seven days, he
said. "Once the supply arrives, we will begin full-scale distribution
among children, Inshallah," he added.
The Health Minister also stressed
the importance of maternal nutrition and breastfeeding, urging doctors to
create greater public awareness on the issue.
"After a baby is born, if the child does not receive proper nutrition from
the mother, various diseases may mutate and reappear in new forms," he
said, warning that emerging health threats could continue to affect the
population if preventive measures are not taken seriously.
Referring to his visits to hospitals treating measles-infected children, the
minister said malnutrition was one of the key reasons behind the worsening
condition of infected children.
"I have visited several
hospitals and observed that many measles patients are suffering from pneumonia
due to nutritional deficiencies," he said.
He noted that maternal immunity through breastfeeding generally protects
infants between six and nine months of age, but questioned why many children in
that age group are now contracting measles.
"From my discussions and
experience, I believe the main reason is lack of nutrition," he added.
Calling for greater public
awareness to protect children from measles, the minister urged doctors and the
media to work together in spreading awareness about isolation, nutrition and
preventive care.
"If coordinated campaigns are
carried out, people will become more aware. Mothers will provide protein-rich
food to children and isolation practices will improve. We will then be able to
protect ourselves from this outbreak," he said.
The minister also highlighted
Bangladesh's dependence on foreign countries for vaccines.
"If foreign countries do not
supply vaccines, we cannot provide them ourselves. We still do not have the
capacity to manufacture vaccines for our nation," he said.
However, he expressed optimism
about establishing a vaccine production unit in Munshiganj.
The minister also emphasised that
there is no alternative to cleanliness and public awareness in preventing
dengue and controlling mosquito breeding.
The seminar was chaired by acting
DAB President Dr Md. Abul Kenan.















