UNFPA and BRAC host knowledge dissemination event on Covid-19

BRAC Health, Nutrition and Population Programme (HNPP) with support from the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and The World Bank, has actively worked in 6 sub-districts of Cox's Bazar since 2021 through the Community Support Team (CST) initiative, with an aim to prevent Covid-19 cases, build community resilience, and reduce healthcare facility load – especially in the remote areas.

In the event jointly hosted by UNFPA and BRAC today (5 February) at Amari Dhaka, the findings on Covid-19-related knowledge and practices from 6 intervention areas of Cox's Bazar were shared, reads a press release.

The event brought together stakeholders from the public and private sectors, development partners, and international and local non-governmental organisations working in areas of Covid-19 pandemic response.

Professor Dr. Ahmedul Kabir, Additional Director General (Admin), DGHS attended the event as the Chief Guest. Dr. Morseda Chowdhury, Director, HNPP, BRAC; Dr. Abhijit Saha, Senior Research Fellow, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University; Dewan Md. Emdadul Haque, Health Systems Specialist, UNFPA Bangladesh; Vibhavendra S Raghuvanshi, Chief of Health, UNFPA Bangladesh; and Dr. Nasima Sultana, Consultant, UNFPA were present as guest speakers. The dissemination was chaired by Asif Saleh, Executive Director, BRAC, who joined online.

In 2021, after the successful implementation of the first phase of CST in two Dhaka City Corporations, the project expanded its activity in 58 unions of 6 upazilas of Cox's Bazar. Since inception, CST Cox's Bazar has developed innovative but consistent approaches in designing and conducting social behaviour change communication (SBCC) activities that are effective in increasing awareness, learning, and replicating recommended behaviours. Community members were informed about mask use, hand washing, social distancing, and immunisation through direct communication, traditional and neo-media channels, and interactive exercises.

Chief Guest Professor Dr. Ahmedul Kabir said "Bangladesh is ready to take the challenge and collectively work on primary healthcare with preventive measures. BRAC is supporting the government in many such interventions such as TB, Malaria, NCD and so on. I truly believe, if we can all work together, we can go far." 

BRAC's Executive Director Asif Saleh urged to strengthen the primary healthcare network of Bangladesh to fight the next communicable, non-communicable, epidemic or pandemic, "This is not going to be the last pandemic. With climate change and change of environment, we may have to see another pandemic in our lifetime. Despite having other social platforms, it is still important to change behaviours through one to one communication. The Community Support Team has been very successful at such interventions and we need to be able to sustain."

At the event, Dr. Avijit Saha, Senior Research Fellow, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health presented the status of awareness about Covid-19 symptoms, mode of transmission, and prevention measures (handwashing, mask-wearing, social distancing) and vaccination across all locations. According to the study, 70% of people were aware that washing their hands with soap and water reduced the possibility of being affected by coronavirus. He also highlighted that 80% of participants knew about the importance of vaccines to reduce the effect of Covid.

Dr. Morseda Chowdhury, Director, BRAC Health, Nutrition & Population Programme commented, "Covid-19 is not the first and may not be the last pandemic we face. To fight future pandemics like Covid-19, we have to build human-centric systems that cater to the actual needs of people in marginalised communities.