Tk412.71cr okays for vaccine procurement

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) on Wednesday approved a proposal to procure essential vaccines for the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) through UNICEF at a cost of Tk 412.71 crore.

The approval came at the committee’s 26th meeting of the year, held at the Bangladesh Secretariat and chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

Officials said the proposal was submitted by the Health Services Division to ensure an uninterrupted supply of vaccines under the national immunization programme during the 2025-26 fiscal years.

The procurement is aimed at supporting routine vaccination activities across the country and maintaining coverage under the EPI programme, a key component of Bangladesh’s public health system.

The procurement will be carried out under the direct procurement method to ensure the timely availability of vaccines and maintain uninterrupted immunization services across the country.

Under the proposal, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will act as both the procuring agency and supplier.

Officials said the procurement is crucial for sustaining the country’s immunization coverage and ensuring vaccine security under the EPI, which serves as the primary national programme for protecting children against vaccine-preventable diseases.