Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Md. Sakhawat Hossain has said the government has allocated an additional Tk 604 crore to procure vaccines to tackle the recent rise in Measles.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Asia Pharma Expo at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center today, he said no measles vaccination campaign had been conducted over the past eight years, which contributed to the current surge.
The minister said measles cases have increased in different parts of the country over the last 15 days. However, he assured that the government is capable of managing the situation, with patients receiving treatment at infectious disease hospitals. A dedicated measles corner has also been set up at DNCC Hospital.
He added that five ventilators have been arranged through private donations, with four to be sent to Rajshahi tomorrow.
Reaffirming the government’s position, the minister said no irregularities or corruption in the health sector will be tolerated. He stressed the need for joint efforts to address challenges and ensure quality healthcare services.
Health Secretary Kamruzzaman Chowdhury said the expo is not just an exhibition but a step forward for the country’s pharmaceutical industry.
He noted that after independence, Bangladesh could meet only 20 percent of its medicine demand locally, while 80 percent depended on imports. Now, about 98 percent of the demand is met through local production, and medicines are exported to 157 countries.
President of the Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries, Abdul Muktadir, said the country exports around $300 million worth of medicines globally and plays an important role in the global market.
He called for stronger policy support to further develop the sector, especially in API (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) production. He added that Bangladesh aims to compete with countries like India and China, although global conflicts have created some challenges.
Despite this, he said Bangladesh is providing medicines at comparatively lower prices than neighboring countries.
The three-day expo features more than 400 companies from over 20 countries, including Denmark, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom, Italy, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Ireland and India.