From March, we saw a rapid surge in patients with scabies that continued throughout the year, resulting in a significant increase in admissions to our facilities.
In April, we carried out a survey on water, hygiene and sanitation in the refugee camps, which showed that 88 per cent of inhabitants had no access to proper sanitation facilities, while 76 per cent of the available toilets were overflowing.
In Kamrangirchar district, in the capital, Dhaka, we collaborated with the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research Bangladesh to conduct a feasibility study in two metal factories, aimed at improving work safety and reducing injuries, focusing particularly on women and young workers.
In April, Dhaka hospitals started seeing an increase in cases of acute watery diarrhoea. In response, our teams donated supplies of saline solution and other medical materials to the Ministry of Health.
In July, MSF teams supported the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee’s response to a severe flash flood in Sylhet, in the northeast of the country. We distributed water, hygiene and sanitation kits to households, and ran mobile clinics in boats, providing emergency medical care.
In addition, we continued to offer technical support to the Ministry of Health to raise awareness among health workers and the community of the dangers of methanol poisoning, and contributed to the development of the National Mental Health Act, issued in 2022.
