14 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Bangladesh between March 9 – 18. On March 18, a patient in his 70’s who was infected with the virus and undergoing treatment at a hospital died. He had underlying medical conditions and also came in contact with someone who recently returned from overseas.

It has not yet been clear how widespread the virus is in the country due to the lack of test kits. A-PAD Bangladesh’s partner organizations, the Dhaka Community Health Trust (DCH Trust) and a humanitarian response network called Community Initiative Society (CIS) began a prevention awareness campaign to prevent further spread of the virus. They created and distributed a campaign video introducing the symptoms of the coronavirus and preventative measures including hand washing and wearing masks.  The video aims to promote an increased awareness of personal safety and good hygiene practices.

A-PAD Bangladesh is also working with the two organizations based out of regional disaster response management centers to plan assistance activities including at Rohingya refugee camps. Their plan covers improving awareness of personal safety and organizing medical staff to handle different cases including quarantines.

https://www.facebook.com/dchtrust18/videos/208544923696933/
https://www.facebook.com/1148523308623944/videos/2705294416235499/