The ruling Awami League government is pledge-bound to cut child and maternal mortality rates to face the challenges of the 21st century.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the vow while inaugurating the measles-rubella vaccination campaign at her official Ganabhaban residence on Sunday morning.
“We are determined to eliminate measles and control rubella as well as to cut child and maternal mortality rate substantially to face the challenges of the 21st century,” said Hasina.
She said the government is working ceaselessly in keeping ahead the goals of rooting out measles, controlling rubella and maintaining the polio-free status of Bangladesh.
At the function, the prime minister encouraged the children to take vaccines by patting and taking them on her lap.
Health Minister Mohammad Nasim delivered the welcome address at the function chaired by Health Secretary MN Neazuddin.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has already made Bangladesh polio-free by observing 21 national immunisation days.
“No polio patient is yet to be found in the country since detection of the last polio patient on November 22 in 2006,” she mentioned.
Terming today's children as the future of the nation, the Prime Minister said her government assumed office again by taking the mandate of the people to build a beautiful Bangladesh for the children.
“You will have to stay alert so that a single child does not remain out of the campaign,” she said.
The Prime Minister urged all to remain cautious about health, saying that health awareness is an important matter alongside education.
The main objective of the nationwide vaccination campaign is to continue the country's polio-free status and eliminate measles and rubella diseases.
About 5.20 crore children will be given measles-rubella vaccine while 2.20 crore children will receive the polio vaccine during the vaccination campaign, said officials of the health ministry.
They also said the vaccination campaign will be run from January 25 to January 30 at all primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, madrasas, maktaba, mosques and other informal educational institutions.
