The Asian Development Bank’s decision to provide Bangladesh with a loan of $338 million for manufacturing vaccines crucial in the protection against various diseases could not have come at a better time.
Weeks ago, Bangladesh found a breakthrough in its fight against dengue when announcements came that clinical trials for a vaccine against dengue will be conducted by iccddr,b. The recent surge in cases of dengue has also reminded us of the importance of investing in prevensions against various viral diseases, and hopefully, this loan will be put to good use by the authorities.
Bangladesh is a densely populated nation that is particularly susceptible to diseases, viral or otherwise. Moreover, our health care infrastructure has not been adequate in supporting the weight of the entire populace in times of large outbreaks. The recent dengue outbreak exposed the glaring flaws in our health care system, and before that it was the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the government has taken a number of steps to bolster existing infrastructure and establish new ones, it still remains the case that prevention is the way to go for our already burdened health care system.
This is where vaccines come in. Pro-active measures such as investing in vaccines can go a long way in ensuring the health of a nation, and this is doubly true for Bangladesh. Health care is, unfortunately, expensive with little to no guarantees, but vaccines provide a level of affordability and protection that can help severely reduce both infection and mortality rates resulting from various diseases.
To that end, this loan will be absolutely crucial. After all, prevention is always more preferable than a cure.
Source: Dhaka Tribune.