Health minister declares "war" on measles and dengue

Health Minister Sardar Sakhawat Hossain has called for a nationwide "war" against measles and dengue, urging collective action to curb the spread of infectious diseases, as he inaugurated the National Special Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign 2026 on Saturday.

The minister acknowledged that vaccination efforts had fallen short between 2020 and April 2026, subsequently contributing to a resurgence of measles. Nevertheless, he noted that more than 18.5 million children had been vaccinated since an emergency campaign was launched in April, while nutrition deficiencies and pneumonia remained major complications among infected children.

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Given that measles remains highly contagious in Bangladesh's densely populated communities, the government has launched a new catch-up campaign targeting 3.4 million children, including 1 million newly eligible infants and 2.4 million previously missed children. Accordingly, vaccination centres are operating across unions and upazilas, including on holidays and after sunset, with the campaign covering all children aged six to 59 months.