No alternative to restoring EPI

FE Team | Published: April 27, 2026 21:39:48

The breakout of measles has all the constituents of an epidemic now. One of the reasons, health experts and epidemiologists first pointed out, behind the proliferation of measles cases and the consequent deaths is the disruption of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) in the country. With the donors withdrawing their financial and material supports, the fallen government of Hasina and the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus ignored the continuation of the universal vaccination programme. Both are blamed for non-procurement of measles and other vaccines required for child immunisation. Now the experts claim that both immunity gaps and malnutrition are responsible for measles. Well, these are all inferences not a conclusive opinion. Although their arguments are logical, they have suggested extensive studies to precisely know the factors behind the sudden surge in measles.
One of the highly concerning issues is non-coverage of babies' immunity by that of mothers. The expert view is that mothers' immunity is passed on to babies and remains effective up to six months. But so far babies below the age of six months are increasingly falling victim to the disease. Why? The answer is that mothers' malnutrition is so severe that it cannot protect babies below five months' old. Another is the lack of breast feeding. As observed by physicians, the majority of measles cases are reported from poor and unhygienic areas, usually sprawling clusters of slums. Mothers deficient in nutrition cannot provide for the nutrition of their babies. While the educated and informed guardians of the upper classes not only immunise mothers and babies in time, they also take extra care for pregnant mothers. This plain and simple explanation holds good for mothers and babies remaining immune from measles. Mothers and babies from poor and backward backgrounds are hardly aware of the need for immunising babies and mothers from private health facilities; or if they are aware of this, they may not afford the costs.
Then comes the issue of efficacy of the vaccine or if there is a new strain of virus responsible for measles against which the vaccine dose as administered now cannot guarantee immunity. In that case, some experts have suggested a booster dose. These are areas of extensive study. If procurement of measles and other vaccines is an imperative, the formation of an expert team for a comprehensive study is no less important. Addressing the severe malnutrition of mothers is more daunting than vaccination. A social campaign for raising the nutrition of daily diet of pregnant mothers of poor households may moderately succeed if the government allocates a special fund for the purpose.
Last but not least, people with malnutrition living in unhygienic quarters are exposed to all kinds of viruses. Particularly, children and elderly people are more vulnerable than others. So programmes like the EPI should be restored in order to fight contagious diseases like measles. Here the government's response should be as much proactive as possible. As long as the social divide remains yawning, immunity also gets compromised. It is more economic than social. People's living standard must improve fast. But when the number of world's hungry people is rising instead of falling, the losing battle against hunger and diseases becomes more evident. Instead of waiting for the world community's support, let the nation develop a roadmap for combating diseases like measles.