City Desk :
Health and Family Welfare Minister Professor Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Wednesday said Bangladesh has made outstanding successes in expansion of vaccination coverage across the country.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been conferred with the prestigious “Vaccine Hero” award in recognition of Bangladesh’s outstanding success in vaccination,” he told a programme in the auditorium of CIRDAP here.
President of Jatiya Press Club Farida Yasmin, Deputy Representative to UNICEF in Bangladesh Emma Brigham, Healthcare professionals, representatives from different local and international organizations, among others, addressed the programme with Chairman of Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and Wellbeing Prof Dr. Md Abdul Aziz, MP, in the chair.
Bangladesh Parliamentary Forum for Health and well-being organised the programme titled “High Level meeting for strengthening immunization programme for achieving universal health coverage”.
The health minister said like success of vaccination coverage, Bangladesh also made remarkable progress in the health sector in the past 15 years as the Awami League-led government has implemented massive development programmes in the country.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is firmly committed to bring all children under the vaccination coverage, he said.
“Despite shortage of manpower, all healthcare professionals are sincerely working to fulfill the commitment of the Prime Minister. We are taking initiatives to recruit adequate number of healthcare professionals.”
Emma Brigham said: “Vaccines are among the greatest advances in global health and development. It is the safest and most cost- effective method to save children’s lives and Bangladesh is no stranger to its success story.”
She said it has already been 45 years since Bangladesh launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization and the programme has propelled significant immunization efforts in Bangladesh, now reaching 84 per cent of infants with full childhood vaccines.
The UNICEF top official also said both maternal and neonatal tetanus and polio were eradicated in 2008 and 2014 respectively.
“We will continue to work with parliamentarians, provide our assistance to EPI, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and civil society organizations to support the upcoming new vaccine campaigns, the routine introduction of these new vaccines, and strengthen the health system,” she continued.