WHO Cox’s Bazar: Rohingya emergency crisis - Situation Report: December 2024

The WHO-led Health Sector held regular monthly coordination meetings in December 2024 at multiple levels: Cox’s Bazar (1), Upazila (2), and Camps (33). During these meetings, health partners received updates on the general situation analysis, the Joint Response Plan (JRP) 2025, epidemiology and disease surveillance (e.g., dengue, cholera), routine Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) & Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (VPD) surveillance, sexual and reproductive health, community health, emergency preparedness and response, and mental health activities.

To enhance coordination capacity and support operational coordination, the Health Sector conducted a review and feedback meeting with camp health focal points at the district level, providing strategic and technical guidance for camp-level health sector coordination. These meetings align with the JRP health sector's Strategic Objectives (SO) 1, 2, and 3. Further, several TWG meetings were held under the health sector's umbrella, including MHPSS, RCCE, SRH, EPI, and CHW-focused groups. 

The health sector also coordinated with partners to address gaps in field coordination activities. Through these efforts, WHO maintained its leadership role in the Health Sector by actively coordinating the health response and disseminating necessary information to Health Sector partners in the Rohingya Camps in Cox’s Bazar.

The WHO and the Health Sector Information Management Team have updated all their regular information management products for December 2024. The live interactive dashboards (4W, HeRAMS, training calendar, etc.)

To enhance the knowledge of Community Health Worker (CHW) supervisors on preventing and responding to sexual misconduct and other abusive behaviours, the WHO Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse Unit, in collaboration with Health Sector Coordination, organised a series of two-day workshops from December 1-9, 2024, in Cox’s Bazar. The 93 CHW supervisors were divided into three batches, with each batch attending on different dates. The workshops aimed to support CHWs in safeguarding beneficiaries in the Rohingya refugee camps.