UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh Rana Flowers has said Bangladesh has achieved over 97 percent coverage in the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) Campaign 2025, placing the country among global leaders in child immunization efforts.

“I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as I share wonderful news: Bangladesh has achieved something extraordinary: over 97% coverage in the Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) Campaign 2025, protecting more than 42.5 million children,” she said in a recent statement.

According to a BSS news report, the achievement reflects a strong national commitment to protecting children from preventable diseases and shielding families from the financial and emotional burden of severe illness.

Flowers said this remarkable success places Bangladesh among global leaders as the eighth country in the world to introduce this life-saving vaccine campaign.

She noted that the successful rollout comes at a critical time. The latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) in partnership with UNICEF, shows that only 39.3% of people in Bangladesh have access to safely managed drinking water. Even more concerning, nearly 47.2% of water sources and 84.9% of household water samples are contaminated with E. coli.

“These numbers mean that for millions of children, illnesses like typhoid are not distant threats, they are risks faced every single day, and a simple glass of water can carry real danger,” she said.

For this reason, UNICEF urgently supported the Government of Bangladesh to undertake the campaign.“Until such time as every family can rely on clean, safe water, the TCV vaccine remains one of the strongest safeguards we can offer protecting children from severe illness, protecting their futures, and giving parents peace of mind,” the UNICEF representative said.

Flowers thanked parents for prioritizing their children’s health and congratulated the Government of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and frontline workers for their nationwide teamwork. She said UNICEF was honored to support the rollout by supplying 50.4 million doses of TCV, strengthening cold chain systems with new cold rooms, deploying digital tools such as the VaxEPI platform, and providing training to health workers.

Communication and community engagement were also key. Working with the Islamic Foundation and broadcasting child-friendly messages across TV, radio, and social media, UNICEF reached more than 120 million people, helping families gain confidence in vaccinating their children.

Flowers highlighted the commitment to reaching every child, including those in marshy lands, coastal belts, remote hilltops, among children with disabilities, ethnic minorities, nomadic groups, tea-garden communities, Qawmi Madrasa students, children of sex workers, and marginalized families. In the Rohingya camps, more than 424,000 children were vaccinated reflecting Bangladesh’s strong commitment to protecting all children within its borders.

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