Measles is spreading across Bangladesh. To help stop it, 24,000 BRAC community health workers are fanning out across 36 districts this week — going door-to-door to connect families with vaccination centers. BRAC is also supplying 1.5 million syringes to support the government's nationwide campaign, which began April 20.
Under the government’s Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI), vaccination activities began on April 20, across all upazilas, districts, municipalities, and city corporations nationwide. Earlier, on April 5, 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, following a measles outbreak in the country.
Among its various support initiatives for the measles-rubella vaccination campaign, BRAC is providing 1.5 million mixing syringes to the EPI. Of these, 216,000 syringes were delivered on April 18. As of April 20, 648,000 syringes have been handed over, with the remaining syringes to be supplied in phases by April 30.
"BRAC is proud to be a partner of the Government of Bangladesh in this important vaccination program," said Dr. Md Akramul Islam, Senior Director of BRAC’s Health Program. "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 centers for immunization. These field activities will continue until May 12.
To raise awareness and encourage participation, public announcements through loudspeakers, 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 programs 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.
