Livelihood Support and Women's Empowerment in Cox's Bazaar-COVID 19

This project aims to decrease coronavirus (COVID-19) related mortality and morbidity among affected populations especially those experiencing marginalization and/or vulnerability in Cox’s Bazar. The project works to mitigate the risk of community spread and increase local response capacity. Bangladesh is at a high risk given its slow response to the pandemic weak health care system capacity and high population density. For the host communities in Cox’s Bazar the second poorest and most vulnerable district in Bangladesh even before the influx of the Rohingya in August 2017 COVID-19 has put immense pressure on the availability and delivery of essential health services which were already scarce and overstretched. In addition there are major concerns around a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak in the dense Rohingya refugee camps due to limited health system capacity and increasing restrictions on humanitarian access to the camps. Project activities include: (1) procuring and distributing medical equipment and medical supplies (cleaning materials soap paper towels tables chairs benches beds fans desks lights floor mats etc.) for health facilities; (2) providing personal protective equipment (PPE) for medical professionals in primary healthcare centers in the refugee camps; (3) distributing masks soap and sanitizer supplies to community health workers and clients visiting health centers; (4) providing capacity building and training on case management and infection prevention and control to public health care professionals and service providers (doctors midwives paramedics lab technicians etc.); (5) providing communication and community engagement measures such as training on effective engagement in case management infection prevention and risk reduction and awareness particularly by women health workers communication actions at the district divisional and national levels including providing up-to-date information on COVID-19 to doctors and fiel

The expected outcome for this project is an improved effectiveness of host communities and refugees’ response to and recovery from COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks especially for women girls and the elderly.