With floodwaters receding slowly from regions affected by one of the worst flash floods in Eastern Bangladesh, the government has sought support from the international community in managing impending disease outbreaks.
“There are significant shortages of medical supplies, including medicines, vaccines, and equipment needed for emergency care and disease prevention. The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has provided an updated request list of emergency drugs needed to manage the imminent disease outbreaks,” says the latest flood report produced on Sunday by the Humanitarian Coordination Task Team (HCTT) and other stakeholders.
The HCTT, co-chaired by the Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and the UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh, was established in 2012 following a consultation process between the humanitarian community and the government.
The report, titled “Bangladesh: Eastern Flash Floods 2024 – Situation Report”, covers the period from August 25 to 29.
The report notes that the risk of outbreaks of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, dysentery, and skin diseases, has increased due to the contamination of water sources and inadequate sanitation facilities. It also highlights the shortage of essential medicines and medical supplies, stating that “the need is increasing in these affected areas.”
The report emphasizes that antibiotics, antipyretics, antifungal ointments, and cholera saline injections are urgently needed to manage waterborne diseases such as diarrhea, skin infections, and acute respiratory infections.
The call for support comes at a time when the National Health Emergency Operations Centre and Control Room of the DGHS recorded 4,786 cases of illness and injuries across 11 flood-affected districts between August 21 and 28.
Among the affected individuals, 1,397 suffered from diarrhea, 782 from skin diseases, 264 from acute respiratory infections, 279 from injuries, 209 from snake bites, 22 from near-drowning, 11 from eye infections, and 1,822 from other conditions.
The report states that access challenges have been exacerbated by the submersion of rural roads and power outages. “In Noakhali, over 50% of the affected areas remain inaccessible to local authorities and frontline responders. The affected communities have minimal access to markets, necessitating most agencies to provide in-kind support.”
Health facilities and services in these areas have been severely impacted, with many Sadar hospitals, Upazila Health Complexes, and Community Clinics submerged in some sub-districts. Furthermore, the functioning health facilities are struggling to cope with the influx of patients seeking emergency care, including those suffering from waterborne diseases and flood-related injuries.
“Children, pregnant women, and elderly people are the most vulnerable in these affected areas. Pregnant women are unable to access facilities for antenatal care, institutional delivery by midwives, postnatal care, and post-partum family planning services due to the difficulty of access and lack of funds for transportation costs.”
Govt, partners join hands to face challenges
In their combined efforts to combat impending disease outbreaks, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and development partners have begun taking action.
The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has activated 1,295 mobile medical teams to address health issues in flood-affected areas, while health cluster partners are working alongside government counterparts to enhance the coordinated response.
World Health Organization (WHO) field staff are facilitating the establishment of outbreak control rooms to monitor disease outbreaks in each district and Upazila. Additionally, WHO is in the process of procuring medicines, including 35,000 tablets of Ciprofloxacin, 25,000 tablets of Azithromycin, 50,000 tablets of Zinc, 20,000 bottles of Azithromycin syrup, 40,000 bottles of Zinc syrup, and 40,000 bottles of Amoxicillin syrup.
Unicef has delivered 300,000 packets of oral rehydration salts (ORS) and plans to deliver an additional 460,000 ORS packets, 100,000 Zinc tablets, 20,000 bottles of Azithromycin syrup, and 20,000 bottles of Amoxicillin syrup.
"BRAC has deployed seven doctors and 21 paramedics across Comilla, Noakhali, Feni, and Chattogram, providing emergency healthcare at outreach camps in shelter centers and nearby communities. Additional medical staff are set to be deployed within two days," according to the flood situation update report. In collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), BRAC has also initiated a rapid needs assessment to provide essential support in coordination with the government and other non-governmental organizations.
The International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) has delivered 22,000 units of normal saline to the Medical Sub Depot in Chattogram and is in the process of providing 25,000 units of cholera saline. The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS) and IFRC have also planned to deploy 10 mobile medical teams in the affected areas.
