Bangladesh’s child immunisation programme has emerged as a quiet but powerful success story, saving lives and building a healthier future. According to Dr. Nijam Uddin Ahmed, Executive Director of Sastho Surokkha Foundation, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) currently saves the lives of 94,000 children and protects five million more from vaccine-preventable diseases across the country every year.

Dr. Ahmed shared these insights at a recent press conference held at the National Press Club in Dhaka, jointly organised by the Sastho Surokkha Foundation and UNICEF Bangladesh ahead of World Immunization Week.

The achievements of EPI are backed by striking data. Since the programme’s launch, the child mortality rate in Bangladesh has decreased by an impressive 81.5 percent. “Before the launch of EPI, 151 out of every 1,000 children died before the age of five. This figure has now dropped to 21 per 1,000,” said Dr. Ahmed. This massive reduction has helped Bangladesh earn global recognition as a role model for successful child vaccination.

The programme primarily focuses on protecting children against deadly diseases like tuberculosis, diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B, and Haemophilus influenzae type B through life-saving vaccines such as BCG, DPT, and Pentavalent.

The Country Learning Hub – Bangladesh (CLH-BD), in line with its commitment to reducing zero-dose (ZD) and under-immunised (UI) children, views this as a milestone in the national journey towards immunisation equity. Through innovative field-based approaches like Extended Vaccination Days (EVD) and Crash Vaccination Programmes, CLH-BD and its partners have been helping reach children in remote and hard-to-reach areas — from haors to hilly villages — ensuring that no child is left behind.

EPI Programme Manager Dr. Abul Fozol, UNICEF’s Mohammad Sahabuddin Khan, and Professor Dr. Md. Rafiqul Islam also attended the event and reiterated their shared goal to strengthen the programme further.

Experts agree that continued progress requires sustained investment, tailored local strategies, and coordinated partnerships. Dr. Ahmed called for increasing budget allocations, expanding the workforce, and adopting area-based planning to address gaps, especially in under-served communities.

As Bangladesh prepares to observe World Immunization Week from April 24 to April 30, stories like these serve as reminders of what has already been achieved — and what is still possible — with the power of routine childhood vaccines. 

References: 

Vaccination saves 94,000 children’s lives annually [Internet]. BSS. [cited 2025 Jul 16]. Available from: https://www.bssnews.net/news/265318