Bangladesh to receive 900K doses of cholera vaccine as aid

The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision has announced that it will send 900,000 doses of cholera vaccine to Bangladesh as aid. The vaccine shipment is intended to act as a precautionary measure to safeguard the health of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees, who escaped the brutal military crackdown in Rakhine state of Myanmar. Quoting the world health group, healio.com reported that the ICG approved a request made by the Bangladesh government for 900,000 doses of the vaccine on September 27 this year. According to a New York Times report, more than 500,000 Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh from Myanmar, to escape what the UN has called an ethnic cleansing of the minority in Rakhine State. Most of the Rohingya refugees are living in crowed camps or temporary settlements in Cox's Bazar. The residents of the camps are facing an elevated risk of cholera because of poor living conditions, limited access to clean water, sanitation and heavy rain. The ICG stated that it can deliver the doses of cholera vaccine within 2 weeks for an immunisation campaign, which is scheduled to begin in October. “This is a precautionary step to avoid a preventable cholera outbreak,” Dr Abul Kalam Azad, director general of health services at the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said in a statement. The ICG acts as the coordinating mechanism for Doctors Without Borders, the Red Cross, UNICEF and WHO. The vaccine delivery is also being supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.