Ziauddin Hyder, special assistant to the prime minister on health, has alleged that measles-rubella (MR) vaccination data was “tampered with” during the previous Awami League government’s tenure, which has led to the current measles crisis.
Speaking at a press conference at the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) on Wednesday afternoon, Hyder stated that the government in power during the MR campaign of December 2020 and January 2021 was “extraordinarily expert” at data tampering.
He added that the coverage data reported for that period is inaccurate and that the necessary level of vaccination coverage was not actually achieved.
Hyder further noted that the MR campaign, which is scheduled to occur every four years, failed to take place for the 2024-25 round. He attributed this failure to government weakness, inefficiency, and a lack of foresight, which has resulted in the current national disaster.
While global measles prevalence has risen by an average of 18 per cent across 53 countries compared to 2020, Dr Hyder emphasised that the specific outbreak, mortality, and suffering witnessed in Bangladesh are primarily due to these past administrative failures.
At the same press conference, DGHS Director General Prabhat Chandra Biswas reported that the nationwide MR vaccination programme has successfully reached nearly 95 per cent of children.
He stated that the directorate has reached very close to its target of vaccinating 18 million children.
Biswas highlighted that a special campaign, which began on 5 April in 30 high-risk upazilas and 13 municipalities, has led to a “significant” decrease in infections in those areas. He expressed optimism that infections will decline further shortly, as it typically takes three to four weeks for antibodies to develop following vaccination.
Regarding clinical complications, the director general noted that many children are being lost to pneumonia complications and other associated illnesses.
In response, ICU services have been strengthened at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, while isolation facilities and bed capacities have been increased at various medical college hospitals. Furthermore, new ventilators are being supplied to manage the situation.
