BRAC to provide 24,000 medics, 1.5 million syringes for measles vaccination

To help prevent the spread of measles, BRAC has decided to support the freshly launched nationwide vaccination campaign with medical supplies and field-level support.

As part of this initiative, BRAC is supplying 1.5 million syringes. Around 24,000 BRAC community health workers across 36 districts will also support efforts to bring children to vaccination centres, said a press release.

Under the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), vaccination activities began on 20 April across all upazilas, districts, municipalities, and city corporations nationwide. Earlier, on 5 April, a measles-rubella vaccination campaign for children aged between six months and five years was launched in 30 high-risk upazilas and 13 municipalities across 18 districts to stem a sudden and deadly measles outbreak in the country.

Among its various support initiatives for the measles-rubella vaccination campaign, BRAC delivered 216,000 syringes to public health sector officials on 18 April. As of 20 April, a total of 648,000 syringes were handed over, with the remaining syringes to be supplied in phases by 30 April.

Regarding the initiative, Dr Md Akramul Islam, senior director of BRAC’s Health Programme, said, “BRAC is proud to be a partner of the Government of Bangladesh in this important vaccination programme. We remain firmly committed to ensuring that this life-saving vaccine reaches every child. We are also dedicated to further strengthening the country’s public health system.”

During the special vaccination campaign, BRAC’s community health workers will conduct door-to-door visits across 280 upazilas in 36 districts. They will encourage parents and guardians to bring their children to vaccination centres for immunisation. These field activities will continue from 20 April until 12 May.

To raise awareness and encourage participation, public announcements through miking, funded by BRAC, will be conducted for up to two days at the union level in each upazila across the 36 districts. 3,000 BRAC health workers will support vaccination delivery and registration activities as well. Two BRAC personnel will also be assigned to assist the EPI in coordinating vaccination activities.

As a long-standing partner of the government, BRAC has been implementing a wide range of programmes and initiatives to improve public health across Bangladesh. BRAC has consistently responded to humanitarian and natural disasters, standing beside affected communities during fires in informal settlements, including Korail slum, as well as during floods, cyclones, storms, and other natural calamities.