WHO Cox’s Bazar: Rohingya emergency crisis - Situation Report: December 2023

Overview

Coordination and Leadership

The WSO in Cox’s Bazar participated in the worldwide movement of 16 days of activism against GBV from 29 November to 7 December 2023, with the slogan “Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls”. The Sub Office reached out to women and girls of three age groups (10-18, 18-49, and above 49) from both Rohingya and host communities. Interactive sessions were organised on various health issues at five Women and Girls Friendly Safe Spaces (WGSSs) run by IRC in Camps 3, 5, 6, 13 and 22 along with Ukhiya & Teknaf Upazila Health Complexes. The sessions, led by WSO women staff, focused on “Promoting self-care interventions in Women & Girls across the life course.” Topics covered included sexual and reproductive health and rights, mental health self-care, nutrition, hygiene, child/early/forced marriage, intimate partner violence, contraception, and maternal care. The sessions helped participants understand how self-care and gender affect health equity and human rights. A total of 285 participants attended the sessions, which were delivered in Rohingya and Bangla languages.

During the reporting month, to respond to the ongoing scabies outbreak to a level that it is no longer considered a public health challenge, WHO and health sector partners successfully completed two rounds of MDA against scabies for around one million people in the Rohingya Camps in Teknaf and Ukhyia. The effective delivery of drugs using the DOTs strategy by the CHWs under UNHCR, and the positive risk communication and community engagement ensured a 100% coverage. The MDA implementation is being extended to the Rohingya refugees in the Bhasan Char Island in coordination with UNHCR and other health sector partners.