Dhaka: Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Dr Zahed Ur Rahman today announced that one crore and 61 lakh children aged between six months and under five years have been vaccinated under the ongoing measles-rubella campaign, achieving 89 percent of the target. ‘The campaign would reach full coverage within the next few days,’ he stated during a weekly press briefing held at the Press Information Department’s conference room this morning, where he also highlighted the government’s recent activities and achievements.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Dr Zahed emphasized the tragic nature of child deaths due to measles and its complications, particularly when infected children develop pneumonia and require ICU support, which becomes difficult to manage. ‘The government is giving the highest priority to address this crisis,’ he added, noting that efforts have been intensified to expand the vaccination programme to prevent such deaths among children.
Dr Zahed further informed that UNICEF and Gavi have supplied an additional 2.2 million mixing syringes to support the campaign. Additionally, the United States has provided 600,000 GeneXpert cartridges for tuberculosis detection and preventive medicines for 11,000 children. The adviser mentioned that health-related offices have already started preparations to tackle dengue ahead of the monsoon season.
Highlighting other government initiatives, Dr Zahed revealed that a pilot project will commence in July to distribute free school uniforms, bags, and shoes among first-grade students in two schools of each upazila. On the energy front, he confirmed that the country currently possesses sufficient fuel stock, including over 234,000 metric tonnes of diesel as of May 2, along with adequate octane, petrol, and jet fuel, urging people not to panic as the ‘fuel pass’ programme will continue.
Regarding electricity, Dr Zahed reported that no load-shedding was required from April 28 to May 4, though temporary disruptions may occur in some areas due to transmission faults. He, however, cautioned that load-shedding might be needed if extreme heat increases demand or if LNG supply is disrupted due to the Middle East situation. Principal Information Officer of PID Syed Abdal Ahmed and Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Md Shah Alam, among others, were present at the briefing.