Pointing fingers at the interim government, Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Health Affairs Ziauddin Hyder on Sunday said there was no need to form an investigation committee over the lapse in measles vaccination as reasons behind it were already known.
“There was negligence here and we can say that without a doubt. Because of their negligence, the vaccine round scheduled for 2024-25 was completely missed,” he told reporters responding to a question at a press briefing in the Secretariat.
Hyder’s comments come at a time when confirmed and suspected measles’ deaths reached 680, with three more children dying 24 hours until 8:00am Sunday.
The PM’s aide said the spike in infections and subsequent deaths stemmed from shifting the programme from an operational plan (OP) to a Development Project Proposal (DPP).
“We know what happened. The programme was transferred from the operational plan to a DPP. At that time, it may have been assumed that the DPPs would be approved within one to one-and-a-half months and funds would become available. But in reality, many DPPs could not even be properly prepared within a year, let alone receive approval from ECNEC and establish project offices,” he said.
The regular flow of funds that had been available through the OP mechanism was halted before a new funding channel was put in place, creating a gap that the country is still dealing with, he added.
He added, “Yes, no vaccine procurement was carried out. Likewise, contraceptive products for family planning were not procured. There is no need for an investigation to establish this.”
Hyder said the government is working intensively to address shortages of family planning products and other essential health supplies.
“Many family planning products are out of stock in different places. Our minister and all concerned are working to procure them as quickly as possible,” he said.
The health minister is currently visiting Copenhagen, Denmark, to hold discussions with UNICEF’s Supply Division headquarters to expedite the procurement of essential products and address existing shortages.
“We are working day and night to ensure that these gaps are filled as quickly as possible,” he said.
Measles death toll reaches 680 as 3 more die in 24 hours
Three more children died with symptoms consistent with measles in 24 hours until 8:00am Sunday, taking Bangladesh’s combined tally of confirmed and suspected measles-related deaths to 680.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has classified the latest deaths as suspected measles fatalities.
With the latest update, the number of suspected measles deaths has risen to 587, while the number of laboratory-confirmed measles deaths remains unchanged at 93.
A total of 1,001 new suspected measles cases were reported during the 24-hour period, taking the cumulative number of suspected cases nationwide to 92,790.
Meanwhile, 62 new confirmed measles cases were recorded, bringing the total number of laboratory-confirmed infections to 11,011.
Since 15 March, a total of 76,859 patients with suspected measles have been hospitalised across the country, of whom 72,849 have recovered, according to DGHS data.