BSS-23 Maleque inaugurates `Measles-Rubella Campaign 2020

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ZCZC

BSS-23

MALEQUE-VACCINE-CAMPAIGN

Maleque inaugurates `Measles-Rubella Campaign 2020

DHAKA, March 14, 2020 (BSS) – Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque today inaugurated the upcoming National Measles-Rubella (MR) Campaign 2020 on Dhaka Shishu Hospital premises by releasing balloons and administering MR vaccine among a few children.

Speaking at the event Maleque said, “Bangladesh already conducted several measles-rubella campaigns in the past. But in recent years the number of measles & rubella cases as well as the number of measles-rubella outbreak has increased. To mitigate this situation, we have planned to conduct another Measles-Rubella Campaign from March 18, 2020 to April 11, 2020.”

Through this campaign, a total of 3.40 crore children aged from 9 months to under 10 years will be given one dose of MR vaccine each across the country.

He continued: the government has already completed all the required steps to implement the upcoming National Measles-Rubella Campaign-2020.

To make this campaign successful the most important factor now is to ensure spontaneous public participation, the minister said.

He asked for full cooperation from all the print, electronic and online media and requested the representatives to provide their utmost effort to showcase the upcoming MR Campaign-2020 so that the country can achieve the measles and rubella elimination target by 2023.

At the meeting, the speakers said that the campaign will be conducted in two phases.

From March 18 to March 24, 2020, during the first week of the campaign one dose of MR vaccine will be given each to all the children of class 4 and equal standard in about 1,73,289 schools across the country.

During the second and third week, from March 28 to April 11, 2020, the campaign will be conducted through 2,44,444 routine, fixed and additional EPI vaccination centres to vaccinate the target children of the community as well as the children who will be unable to receive the vaccination during the first week of the campaign.

All vaccination centres will remain open every day from 8 am to 4pm except Fridays and other government holidays.

Besides, for the vulnerable group of children of the country such as children who live in Bazar areas or shops, children whose mothers work in factories, rice mills etc., children of wandering tribes such as the Bede fleets, disadvantaged children who sleep in the railway stations or bus terminals, hospitalized or hospitalized mother’s children, children who are in jails with their mothers, children who live in brothels, slums and hard to reach areas, the government has arranged dedicated vaccination centres accordingly.

Among others, Secretary of Health Service Division Asadul Haque, Secretary of Health Education and Family Welfare division Ali Noor, Professor Abul Kalam Azad, Director General, Health, Director of Dhaka Shishu Hospital, Line Director, MNC&AH, Dr. Md. Shamsul Haque, Professor Syed Shofi Ahmed Muaz, Programme Manager, Expanded Programme On Immunization Dr. Mowla Baksh Chaudhury and representatives from different development partners like UNICEF and World Health Organization were also present at the inaugural program.

BSS/PR/TIT/KU/2012 HRS