Unicef has strengthened Bangladesh’s vaccine storage capacity by installing 120 new cold rooms across 61 districts ahead of the upcoming typhoid vaccination campaign.
The development was highlighted in a press conference organized by Unicef Bangladesh and the Shastho Shurokkha Foundation (SSF) titled “Success, Innovation, Existing Challenges, and Recommendations for the Immunization Program in Bangladesh and the Upcoming Typhoid Vaccination Campaign 2025” at the National Press Club, Dhaka.
The discussion focused on Bangladesh’s achievements in immunization coverage, ongoing challenges, and preparations for the upcoming typhoid vaccination campaign.
Presenting the keynote, Dr Nizam Uddin Ahmed, executive director of SSF and Chair of the Gavi (Global Vaccination Initiative) CSO Steering Committee, said: “In 1985, immunization coverage was only 2%. Today, it stands at 83%, and child mortality has fallen by 82%.”
He added that every dollar invested in vaccination returns $25 in economic and health benefits, saving around 94,000 children’s lives each year.
Dr Ahmed noted that Bangladesh has achieved 93% HPV vaccine coverage, reducing cervical cancer risk among adolescent girls. He assured that there would be no vaccine shortage, thanks to the strengthened storage system.
Speaking on current challenges, Dr Riad Mahmud, health manager at Unicef Bangladesh, said immunization progress has remained stagnant at 84% since 2014 due to manpower shortages.
“We need 1,700 vaccinators and 800 supervisors to reach full coverage,” he said.
Dr Mahmud proposed introducing evening and weekend sessions for vaccination. He also announced the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) Campaign 2025, starting Sunday to November 13, aiming to vaccinate 50 million children aged 9 months to under 15 years. Vaccination will take place in schools and madrasas over the first 10 working days, followed by Union Parishad Immunization centers for the next 8 days.
Speakers urged the government to fill vacant posts in the EPI program, ensure timely funding, and enhance digital systems like eVLMIS, e-Tracker, and VaxEPI to sustain immunization success.
Concluding the event, Dr Mahmud said: “Bangladesh’s immunization progress reflects decades of partnership and public trust. Our next goal is to ensure that every child, in every corner of the country, receives every vaccine they deserve.”
Notably, to protect children from typhoid fever, the Government of Bangladesh is set to launch the Typhoid Vaccination Campaign 2025 under the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI). The campaign will officially begin on 12 October 2025, reaching children nationwide to ensure a healthier, typhoid-free future.
