Dhaka: Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Husain announced today that a nationwide special measles vaccination campaign will commence on September 25. "From September 25, a large-scale measles vaccination campaign will be launched again across the country," he stated during a seminar held at the University Women's Federation in the capital to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day 2026.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the seminar was organized by the Association for Disabled People (ADP) and the Rotary Club of Ahsan Manzil Dhaka, with ADP Chairman Rowshan Ara Zaman chairing the session. The minister emphasized that a significant number of children contracting measles have not yet received the vaccination. Initial challenges in managing the measles outbreak were attributed to a lack of vaccine stock left by the previous government.
The Health Ministry has since acquired over ten million doses of the vaccine and conducted a vaccination drive. "New vaccines have arrived from UNICEF for children who are still outside the vaccination coverage. Using these vaccines, the large-scale campaign will resume from September 25," the minister noted.
Addressing the ongoing dengue situation, the minister highlighted that stagnant water in household flowerpots serves as breeding grounds for mosquitoes, elevating the risk of dengue transmission. He assured that the Health Ministry has initiated extensive measures to counter dengue, with awareness campaigns reaching beyond Dhaka to rural and peripheral areas.
The government is also committed to reducing the suicide rate in the country to zero, the minister added. Earlier in the day, the health minister took part in a rally organized to observe World Suicide Prevention Day.