Nasim seeks icddr,b help to tackle diseases

Health Minister Mohammed Nasim yesterday sought assistance of icddr,b in preventing any imminent outbreak of diseases in the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.

He said he counts on technical and evidence-based recommendations of icddr,b in the areas of malnutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious disease control.

"I would expect icddr,b to explore how a mass vaccination of Rohingya refugees, especially for children under 5 years old, can be implemented to prevent any imminent disease outbreaks,” Nasim said, according to a press release.

He was addressing a discussion on “Collaboration between the Government of Bangladesh and icddr,b: Past, Present and Future” organised by icddr,b at its Sasakawa Auditorium.

Health emergency in the Rohingya camps in Ukhia and Teknaf of Cox's Bazar has been a matter of concern since  over 480,000 Rohingyas fled violence in Myanmar and took shelter at the makeshift camps in Cox's Bazar.

Lack of food, shelter, drinking water, medicine, sanitary latrines in the camps has been a matter of serious concern, along with diarrhoea, cold and fever, especially among the children.

The government, UN agencies and NGOs have undertaken programmes to vaccinate 1.5 lakh children for rubella and polio, set up tubewells, sanitary latrines and provide nutritious food.

Dr Abul Klam Azad, director general at the Directorate General Health Service (DGHS), lauded icddr,b's support in addressing health aspects of Rohingyas, including collecting specimens, liaising with the World Health Organization, and establishing makeshift hospitals in the Rohingya camps.  

Health Secretary Sirazul Islam, icddr,b Executive Director Prof John D Clemens and Deputy Executive Director Syed Monjurul Islam also spoke.