Health minister blames past vaccination gaps for measles outbreak

Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain on Monday told parliament that the recent surge in measles cases in Bangladesh is the result of vaccination gaps and mismanagement by previous governments, including the immediate past interim administration.

He said no nationwide measles-rubella vaccination campaign has been conducted since December 2020, despite such campaigns being scheduled every four years. As a result, many children have remained outside vaccination coverage and are now contracting measles.

The minister made the remarks in response to a notice raised by NCP Member of Parliament Akhtar Hossain, who called for urgent measures to control the outbreak. Earlier, on 29 March, the minister had told journalists that no measles vaccination had been administered in the country for the past eight years.

In his notice, Akhtar Hossain said more than 115 suspected measles-related deaths had been reported in the past three weeks, including 20 confirmed fatalities, while thousands of children have been infected. He questioned the accuracy of the minister’s earlier statement and referred to differing accounts from field-level vaccination workers. He also expressed concern over the absence of regular vaccination campaigns.

The lawmaker highlighted the lack of adequate isolation facilities in hospitals, particularly at district and upazila-level institutions, including in Rajshahi. He noted that intensive care unit (ICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) facilities remain unavailable in many areas.

He further said that although measles vaccination in Bangladesh typically begins at nine months of age, infections are now being reported among infants as young as six months. He called for an investigation into the causes of the outbreak and sought details of the government’s response.

In reply, the minister attributed the outbreak to “serious mismanagement and failures” of previous administrations. He reiterated that the absence of a measles-rubella vaccination campaign since 2020 has left many children unprotected.

He also said poor planning in vaccine procurement by earlier governments had led to shortages of measles vaccines and six other types, contributing to the current situation.

Addressing healthcare capacity, Sakhawat Husain said isolation wards have been arranged in all government hospitals, with an additional 250 isolation beds being prepared in Rajshahi. He added that ICU and ventilator readiness is being strengthened, and a low-cost oxygen delivery system developed in collaboration with icddr,b is being introduced.

The minister said vaccines are being procured on an emergency basis, adding that the World Bank has assured support, with loans and grants expected to assist in tackling the outbreak.

In a supplementary question, Akhtar Hossain raised concerns over field-level mismanagement, alleging that services such as isolation and ICU care are not reaching patients despite official allocations. He also noted that around 25 per cent of the health sector budget remains unspent, including Tk11,000 crore in the 2024–25 fiscal year.

In response, the minister said Tk604 crore in unspent funds from the COVID-19 period is being used to procure additional measles vaccines through UNICEF. He added that leave for health workers has been cancelled to strengthen field-level monitoring, while coordination with development partners, including the World Bank and UNICEF, has been intensified to prevent future shortages.