Phase-2 measles drive launched to vaccinate 3.4M missed children by October 31
Indigenous Medical Tech Saves Thousands Amid Measles Complications: Health Minister
- Health Minister lauds icddr,b’s low-cost (BDT 150) bubble CPAP oxygen apparatus for saving children suffering from post-measles pneumonia.
- Nationwide Phase-2 measles immunization drive launched at Karail TNT grounds to cover 3.4 million unreached infants.
- Over 18.5 million infants already inoculated since April; 1 million contingency doses stockpiled for emergency containment.
DHAKA, 26 Septembe: Spotlighting frugal medical engineering and grassroots clinical innovations in combating pediatric mortality, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain lauded the groundbreaking bubble-assisted oxygenation apparatus developed by Bangladeshi physicians to treat critical post-measles lung infections. He made the observations as chief guest while inaugurating the nationwide Phase-2 Measles Immunization Campaign at the Karail TNT playground in Banani, Dhaka, on Saturday, 26 September.
Highlighting the acute vulnerability of malnourished infants whose respiratory pulmonary pathways collapse due to severe post-measles pneumonia, the Minister lauded the frugal technical intervention designed by physicians at icddr,b. Developed at an ultra-low production cost of approximately BDT 150 using modified water bottles and specialized bubble tubing, this indigenous respiratory therapy device has effectively saved thousands of critical children across low-resource clinical settings.
He commended the nation's medical scientists for pioneering life-saving medical devices locally, while honoring front-line healthcare professionals whose dedication maintained comparatively lower mortality rates during the global pandemic and localized health crises.
Reflecting on institutional shortcomings, the Minister stated that procedural negligence, tender bottlenecks, and bureaucratic delays spanning between December 2020 and April 2026 severely disrupted national vaccine procurement. These operational gaps tragically resulted in roughly 1,000 pediatric fatalities among an estimated 18.5 million vulnerable infants nationwide, describing the losses as an agonizing national failure.
Minister Sakhawat Hossain emphasized that the current administration moved decisively starting 5 April to bridge systemic immunization deficits. A targeted mass campaign launched on 20 April successfully administered vaccines to 18.5 million children. The ongoing secondary campaign seeks to immunize an additional 3.4 million missed children aged 6 to 59 months across the country before concluding on 31 October. Furthermore, the health directorate has earmarked a strategic contingency buffer of 1 million doses to support routine expanded immunization pipelines and address localized emergencies.
//DBTech/JNR/SMP/BTOP//
DHAKA, 26 Septembe: Spotlighting frugal medical engineering and grassroots clinical innovations in combating pediatric mortality, Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain lauded the groundbreaking bubble-assisted oxygenation apparatus developed by Bangladeshi physicians to treat critical post-measles lung infections. He made the observations as chief guest while inaugurating the nationwide Phase-2 Measles Immunization Campaign at the Karail TNT playground in Banani, Dhaka, on Saturday, 26 September.
Highlighting the acute vulnerability of malnourished infants whose respiratory pulmonary pathways collapse due to severe post-measles pneumonia, the Minister lauded the frugal technical intervention designed by physicians at icddr,b. Developed at an ultra-low production cost of approximately BDT 150 using modified water bottles and specialized bubble tubing, this indigenous respiratory therapy device has effectively saved thousands of critical children across low-resource clinical settings.
He commended the nation's medical scientists for pioneering life-saving medical devices locally, while honoring front-line healthcare professionals whose dedication maintained comparatively lower mortality rates during the global pandemic and localized health crises.
Reflecting on institutional shortcomings, the Minister stated that procedural negligence, tender bottlenecks, and bureaucratic delays spanning between December 2020 and April 2026 severely disrupted national vaccine procurement. These operational gaps tragically resulted in roughly 1,000 pediatric fatalities among an estimated 18.5 million vulnerable infants nationwide, describing the losses as an agonizing national failure.
Minister Sakhawat Hossain emphasized that the current administration moved decisively starting 5 April to bridge systemic immunization deficits. A targeted mass campaign launched on 20 April successfully administered vaccines to 18.5 million children. The ongoing secondary campaign seeks to immunize an additional 3.4 million missed children aged 6 to 59 months across the country before concluding on 31 October. Furthermore, the health directorate has earmarked a strategic contingency buffer of 1 million doses to support routine expanded immunization pipelines and address localized emergencies.
//DBTech/JNR/SMP/BTOP//
