Bangladesh has now crossed a devastating milestone in its measles outbreak, with the death toll reaching 1,000 -- a number that represents a thousand families mourning children who should have had every chance to grow up.
Measles is, while highly contagious, also a preventable disease through timely vaccination, and that makes this tragedy even harder to accept.
The outbreak has exposed dangerous gaps in the country’s immunization system. Routine vaccination programs were disrupted during a period of political upheaval, while subsequent problems with vaccine procurement further weakened protection.
The result has been an immunity gap that left hundreds of thousands vulnerable.
It must be understood: There can be no justification for allowing political disagreements, administrative transitions, or changes in policy to interrupt essential healthcare services.
Children cannot be made to wait for stability while governments change, political priorities shift, or institutions are reorganized. A missed vaccination today can and has become a life-threatening infection tomorrow.
It is therefore imperative that the government treat routine immunization as a national priority that must remain independent from political turbulence. Vaccine procurement and distribution need stronger oversight, adequate stockpiles and clear accountability.
The health authorities must also maintain reliable records to identify children who miss doses and ensure that the missed vaccination reaches them.
The emergency vaccination campaign was necessary earlier this year but it cannot be the end of the response. Bangladesh must rebuild a resilient immunization system capable of functioning through subsequent crises.
Public awareness must also improve so that parents understand the importance of timely vaccination and know where to obtain it.
Most importantly, there must be accountability. 1000 child deaths cannot simply become another statistic in an annual health report.
Political disagreements must never again come at the cost of preventable infant deaths. In fact, no preventable disease should be allowed to claim a single child’s life because the systems meant to protect them failed.
We owe our children this much.