Staff Correspondent :
A day-long consultative workshop with journalists was held in Narayanganj to raise awareness about typhoid vaccination among children, adolescents, and students. The event took place on Wednesday (24 September) at Narayanganj Press Club, organized by the District Information Office.
Dr. A.F.M. Moshiur Rahman, Civil Surgeon of Narayanganj, attended the workshop as the chief guest. The session was presided over by District Information Officer Mohammad Kamruzzaman and moderated by Narayanganj Press Club Vice-President Billal Hossain Robin.
Special guests included Fahima Zaman, Deputy Director of the Department of Mass Communication and Information; Ujjal Hossain, Assistant Director; Shahidul Islam, Deputy Director of the District Family Planning Department; Abu Saud Masud, President of Narayanganj Press Club; and Afzal Hossain Ponti, General Secretary of the club.
During the workshop, it was highlighted that according to a 2019 health survey, around 478,000 people in Bangladesh are affected by typhoid every year, with nearly 8,000 deaths. Alarmingly, 68% of the victims are children. A nationwide target has been set to vaccinate around 50 million children aged between 9 months and 15 years. The typhoid vaccination campaign will begin across the country on 12 October, and the vaccine is reported to have no side effects.
Every year, more than 8,000 children die from typhoid. However, pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers will not be eligible for this vaccine.
In Narayanganj alone, the vaccination target has been set at approximately 810,000 children. Speakers at the workshop urged media professionals to play an active role in raising public awareness to ensure the success of the campaign.
