The government will import additional vaccines if needed, while planning to deploy 25,000 Family Welfare Visitors to raise awareness of child health and hygiene.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain speaks at a discussion marking World Pneumonia Day at Bangladesh Medical University. Photo: PID
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Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain speaks at a discussion marking World Pneumonia Day at Bangladesh Medical University. Photo: PID
Health and Family Welfare Minister Sardar Sakhawat Husain has said the country has adequate stocks of vaccines to combat pneumonia, adding that the government would import more if necessary.
He made the remarks at a discussion marking World Pneumonia Day, organised by the Bangladesh Paediatric Society at Bangladesh Medical University (BMU) today (12 November), according to a press release.
BMU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr FA Siddiqui attended the event as a special guest, while Dean of the Faculty of Paediatrics Professor Dr Md Atiar Rahman moderated the discussion.
The minister urged stakeholders to provide specific recommendations on measures to protect children from pneumonia, saying the government was ready to provide the necessary equipment and other support. The government would also seek assistance from the prime minister if required, he added.
Sakhawat identified a lack of family awareness and unhygienic living conditions as major causes of pneumonia and other childhood diseases.
He said hospital visits often revealed that more than one child was sharing a bed. He also cited instances of mothers breastfeeding other women’s children, which he said could pose serious health risks.
Children were also often deprived of necessary care because of family complications and a lack of awareness, he added.
The minister said around 25,000 Family Welfare Visitors would be engaged at the grassroots level to raise awareness among mothers about breastfeeding, child nutrition and hygiene. They would also be equipped with portable screening machines for breast examinations.
Outlining plans to introduce advanced screening systems for breast and cervical cancers, Sakhawat said Bangladesh would develop facilities for early detection by drawing on the experiences of countries such as Sri Lanka and Germany.
Such initiatives would help ensure that women affected by the diseases receive treatment at an early stage, increasing their chances of recovery, he added.
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