“We are two sisters who lived in Rakhine State until we all had to flee in 2017 like so many others.”, says 20-year-old Tasmina Akter. “But what is important is that we are together”. Tasmina lost her child only a few days ago but as family is an important support, life is slowly getting back to normal.
Tasmina Akter, 20, and her husband Robiul Adam, 22, lost their 9-month-old child
WHO Bangladesh/ Tatiana Almeida
In the kitchen, her sister Shokila is preparing lunch while her husband is at the nearest health facility watching over their youngest child. “When our 4-year-old daughter fell ill we heard that we could come to this health facility where treatment is free of charge”, says Shahid Hossain.
Shahid Hossain, a 30-year-old father, giving water to 4-year-old Jayatul
WHO Bangladesh/ Tatiana Almeida
“Provision of quality lifesaving and comprehensive primary and secondary health services is one of the priority areas of the government health department”, says Dr. Sumon Barua, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer in Teknaf. “All our services are free of charge for both host communities and Rohingya refugees”.
WHO Health Sector Coordination meeting held in Teknaf with Dr. Sumon Barua, Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer
WHO Bangladesh/ Tatiana Almeida
Led by the Cox’s Bazar Civil Surgeon Office and coordinated by WHO, the Health Sector is the largest in number of partners that provide health services which includes 131 Health posts, 32 Primary Healthcare Centers and 4 Field Hospitals. Together, they respond to the needs of 1.24 million people amid a very much needed emergency response.
“The role of WHO is to support mechanisms that identify and meet ongoing humanitarian needs through the coordination of the provision of essential health services among all stakeholders. While this is a very complex task, we are proud to have supported the Government of Bangladesh to achieve important milestones in the health sector in Cox’s Bazar. And we did so by putting people first”, says Dr. Khalid El Tahir, WHO Sub-Office Incident Manager.
In 2 years, through a coordinated health sector, it provided more than 338,850 primary care outpatient consultations by 127 basic health units, 32 primary health centers and 5 hospital facilities; established surveillance and referral mechanisms; planned emergency preparedness plans; coordinated with other sectors including WASH, Site management, Shelter, CWC, Nutrition, etc. Every day, the health sector continues to provide lifesaving care and treatment to Rohingya refugees and host communities.
In October 14, the WHO team met Kushida, a housewife and mother of 4. After 8h of vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea she was admitted at the nearest health facility. She received treatment for acute watery diarrhea and in the next morning she was sent home with instructions to rest.
“When I came back home I was feeling very weak but now my health has improved. In the hospital they told me to wash my hands before cooking and after using the toilet. Since then, as my husband brings food from the market, I wash the vegetables properly. I also learned that it’s important to eat the food while it is warm and to protect it from the flies”, says the 36-year-old.
WHO team talking with Kushida’s family about ways to improve the family’s health at their home in Teknaf
WHO Bangladesh/ Tatiana Almeida
An effective engagement with the communities, particularly through Community Health Workers (CHWs) with house to house visits and awareness sessions, allows the health sector address health needs in Cox’s Bazar. This way, WHO and its partners are contributing to reduce inequalities in access to essential health services particularly among vulnerable populations.
In every programme and every initiative, the health sector wants to ensure that lives are protected, children get to see adulthood, parents watch their children survive and thrive. This is the difference WHO wants to make in Cox’s Bazar.