A total of 1.70 crore children aged between nine months and 15 years have already received typhoid vaccines under the ongoing nationwide immunization campaign, which will run until November 13.
The progress was disclosed at a review meeting held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Thursday. The event was jointly organised by the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), UNICEF Bangladesh, and the Health Protection Foundation to assess achievements and identify strategies to further strengthen the campaign’s outreach.
According to the discussion, children aged between one month and under 15 years are the most susceptible to typhoid fever in Bangladesh. A survey conducted in 2021 found that around 8,000 people die from typhoid annually in the country, with nearly 6,000 of those deaths occurring among children below 15 years. The disease is mainly spread through unsafe drinking water and unhygienic food.
Dr Mohammad Shahriar Sajjad, deputy director of EPI and Surveillance, presented the campaign’s progress report and highlighted steps being taken to enhance vaccine delivery and public awareness.
Speakers at the event noted that the government has prioritised the immunisation programme as a key national health initiative. They also praised Bangladesh’s global recognition for its success in expanding vaccine coverage.
As part of the “Typhoid Vaccination Campaign 2025,” the government is administering typhoid conjugate vaccines free of cost to all children aged nine months to under 15 years.
Launched on October 12, the drive aims to vaccinate approximately 4.90 crore children across the country, including students from playgroups, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools, as well as madrasa students and out-of-school children within the same age range.
Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Professor Dr Md Sayedur Rahman attended the event as chief guest.
The meeting was chaired by Health Services Division Secretary Md Saidur Rahman, while Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Professor Dr Md Abu Jafor and UNICEF Bangladesh Deputy Representative Dipika Sharma joined as special guests.
