Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Bangladesh is facing a widening rabies vaccine crisis after the interim government’s suspension of the five-year health sector programme disrupted central vaccine procurement under the Expanded Programme on Immunisation.
The shortage, which began with measles vaccines, has now hit rabies shots, forcing many animal-bite victims to buy doses privately for Tk600-Tk800, though the vaccines were earlier provided free at public hospitals. Some hospitals are asking patients to wait until four victims gather, as one vial has to be shared among four people.
Bandarban Civil Surgeon Dr Shahin Hossain Chowdhury said the district recently ran out of vaccines before emergency doses were arranged. “Twenty to 25 patients come every week. Sometimes five or six animal-bite victims arrive together. It is still difficult to manage the situation,” he said.
Faridpur Civil Surgeon Dr Mahmudul Hasan said, “One dose has to be divided among four people. Sometimes patients have to wait until four people are present together.”
A Narayanganj health official said local purchases were inadequate. “When the crisis becomes severe, patients are being asked to buy vaccines from outside. This increases suffering for poor patients,” the official said.
Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon Dr Saber warned that stocks were “almost finished” ahead of the monsoon, when animal-bite cases rise. Similar shortages have been reported in Barisal, Naogaon, Bogura, Brahmanbaria, Rajshahi and Khulna.
In Khulna, six-year-old Asha Moni’s mother Ayesha Begum had to buy a dose for Tk800 after finding more than 100 patients waiting at Khulna General Hospital and no government vaccine available.
Bogura Civil Surgeon Dr Khurshid Alam said hospitals can buy vaccines worth up to Tk25,000 from their own funds, but this is far below demand. At Naogaon 250-bed General Hospital, acting superintendent Dr Mir Sufian said, “We are managing with whatever is available, but it is not enough.” Barishal Civil Surgeon Dr SM Monzur-e-Elahi said Incepta Pharmaceuticals has no stock but expects supply within two weeks.
Former DGHS disease control director Dr Benazir Ahmed said $33 million under the fourth sector programme had cut rabies deaths by over 90%, but those gains are now at risk. He warned that the 2030 rabies elimination target may be missed, citing 5-6 lakh annual bite cases, 3-4 month procurement delays and stalled dog vaccination covering 16-17 lakh dogs.
Health Secretary Md Kamruzzaman Chowdhury could not be reached. Health Minister Sardar Md Sakhawat Husain said procurement has shifted to Unicef, with $83.6 million disbursed for 95 million doses of 10 vaccines. A $35 million procurement plan and 15-month buffer stock strategy are underway, with shortages expected to ease in 8-12 months.
DGHS official Dr Md Halimur Rashid said 9 lakh rabies vaccine doses have been approved and shortages may ease within 15 days. “As soon as the vaccine arrives, distribution will begin at district and upazila levels,” he said, adding that dog vaccination will shift to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.
Meanwhile, measles vaccine supply at Dhaka’s Infectious Diseases Hospital has stabilised, superintendent Dr FA Asma Khan said, with 1,200-1,400 patients vaccinated daily. Seven more children died from measles and measles-like symptoms in the 24 hours till Wednesday morning, taking the toll since March 15 to 324.