International Youth Day 2026 – Pharmacy Students Stepping Up

Bangladesh is in the grip of its most severe measles outbreak in years — since mid-March 2026, tens of thousands of suspected cases and hundreds of deaths have been recorded nationwide, with children under five bearing the heaviest toll. It’s a stark reminder of how fragile immunization gains can be, and how urgently community-level awareness is needed.

This #InternationalYouthDay2026, the Department of Pharmacy, Bangladesh University answered that call — not just with celebration, but with action.

As future pharmacists, our students don’t just learn about disease prevention — they practice it. That’s why, aligned with UN SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), our students took the seminar’s message beyond the classroom and into the slum areas of Mohammadpur, going door-to-door to raise awareness on measles symptoms, vaccination, and prevention among the most vulnerable communities.

This is what it means to be a pharmacist: not just a dispenser of medicine, but a trusted, front-line health educator standing with the community when it matters most.

The event was inaugurated by the Honourable Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh University, Professor Dr. Md. Jahangir Alam.

The celebration began with a colorful youth rally organized by Pharmacy students across the BU campus. As part of the department’s Community Health Awareness Program, a seminar titled “Understanding Measles: The Bangladesh Perspective, Awareness and Prevention” was held, followed by a community engagement in the slum areas of Mohammadpur, where pharmacy students raised awareness on measles prevention.

Farhana Lyzu served as Keynote Speaker, covering the measles virus, vaccine, treatment, prevention strategies, and challenges in disease elimination.

The seminar was attended by Professor Dr. Md. Taijul Islam (Dean, Faculty of Business Administration), Professor Mohammad Humayun Kabir (Dean, Faculty of Arts, Social Science and Law), Professor Sadiq Iqbal (Head, CSE), along with other department heads, Dr. Nesaruddin Ahmed (Proctor), faculty, staff, and students.

The Head of the Department of Pharmacy, Professor Abul Kalam Azad delivered the opening speech; the seminar was moderated by Tonima Enam, Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy and closed with a vote of thanks by event coordinator Sabiha Khatun Urmy, Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy.

The Department of Pharmacy thanks Farhana Lyzu for her keynote address and Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd. for co-sponsoring the event.

#InternationalYouthDay #IYD2026 #SDG2030 #BangladeshUniversity #DeptOfPharmacy #MeaslesAwareness #YouthForSDGs #InceptaPharmaceuticalsLtd
#UNICEFBangladesh
#internationalpharmacistsfederation