Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said the government has initiated the measles-rubella vaccination campaign despite the previous government leaving the national treasury empty.
He made these remarks at a ceremony held at Little Angel Seminary in Rupganj, Narayanganj on Monday.
Sakhawat stated, “The previous government left no money in the treasury. Under the wisdom and direction of the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, this government has initiated the measles-rubella vaccination campaign.”
He emphasised the importance of public awareness alongside medical treatment. Sakhawat added, “People cannot be cured by medicine alone. We must also be aware ourselves, and the most effective medicine is breast milk. Immunity from various diseases is possible through breastfeeding.”
Responding to a request from the Member of Parliament (MP) for Narayanganj-1 Mustafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu, Sakhawat announced that the 50-bed Rupganj Upazila Health Complex would be upgraded to a 100-bed facility in the upcoming budget.
A total of 382 children were scheduled to receive the measles-rubella vaccine at the venue. In Narayanganj district, the vaccination drive aims to cover 3,37,435 children across seven permanent centres and 1,056 temporary centres, including the city corporation areas.
Excluding the city corporation, 2,59,435 children will be vaccinated across the rest of the district.
The event was attended by Narayanganj-1 MP Mustafizur Rahman Bhuiyan Dipu, Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Dhaka Megan Bouldin, UNICEF Bangladesh Deputy Representative Emmaunelle Abrioux, and World Health Organisation (WHO) Bangladesh Deputy Representative Rajesh Narwal, along with various officials from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
