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Interim govt’s measles vaccine policy cost children: health minister
Published : Monday, 7 September, 2026 at 8:04 PM
Observer Online Report
Many children became victims of a severe measles vaccine shortage caused by the interim government's decision to change the established vaccine supply system, Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Hossain said in Parliament on Monday.
He said the government ignored repeated warnings and letters from UNICEF before introducing an open tender system for procuring measles vaccines.
The minister was responding to questions raised by Gopalganj-1 MP Selimuzzaman Mollah about the performance and management of the health sector during the interim government's 19-month tenure.
Sakhawat said Bangladesh had long procured WHO-approved measles vaccines directly through the international supply chain with support from UNICEF and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (Gavi).
However, in September 2025, the interim government suddenly changed the system and decided to procure vaccines through open tenders.
The then UNICEF Bangladesh representative Rana Flowers reportedly described the decision as highly risky. She warned that open tendering was unsuitable for essential life-saving vaccines and could disrupt the regular supply system.
The minister said UNICEF sent five to six formal letters to the Health Ministry and held around 10 urgent meetings to warn policymakers about a possible crisis.
But the warnings were ignored, he said.
After the new tender system was introduced, documents related to fund release and approvals remained stuck in bureaucratic procedures.
As a result, vaccine shipments were severely delayed despite adequate stocks at international warehouses, Sakhawat said.
He said political instability and policy failures also disrupted routine immunisation.
The scheduled vaccination programme was delayed in 2024 following the political change and instability.
In 2025, the government also cancelled a much-needed supplementary measles-rubella (MR) campaign, he said.
The cancellation contributed to a worrying decline in routine childhood vaccination coverage across the country.
As vaccine supplies failed to arrive on time and the special campaign was cancelled, measles outbreaks later became severe and deadly among children in Bangladesh and Rohingya camps, the minister said.
He also presented health-sector budget figures for the past two fiscal years.
The Health Services Division and Health Education and Family Welfare Division received Tk 41,407 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
The allocation was increased to Tk 41,908 crore in 2025-26.
The funds were mainly allocated to the operating and development sectors, he said.
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Online: email: [email protected] 41053014; 01550707297 Advertisement: 01550707296
