Every year, 10 million people fall ill with tuberculosis (TB) globally. Despite being a preventable and curable disease, 1.5 million people die from TB each year - making it the world’s top infectious killer. Most of the people infected with TB live in low and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh.
In Cox’s Bazar, the National TB control program (NTP) was extended to the refugee camps and strengthened amongst host communities since the influx of nearly one million refugees three years ago. In coordination with NTP, WHO is providing human resources, technical and logistic support to strengthen national response on TB control in the district. The program includes early TB detection of drug sensitive and drug-resistant (DR) Tuberculosis and timely and quality treatment to all patients.
Since the onset of the COVID-19, Cox’s Bazar has been at arms with responding to the outbreak whilst reducing the impact of the pandemic in the delivery of essential health services. WHO has raised concerns that vulnerable populations with poor access to health care should not get further marginalized during the pandemic. In Cox’s Bazar, WHO and health partners are holding on to protecting TB progresses from any setback.
WHO TB team is actively engaged in ensuring that TB services are maintained, and patients access treatment and care despite COVID-19. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
Despite the COVID-19 outbreak, TB activities continue in Cox’s Bazar, comprising health services, host community engagement and mobilization activities to increase TB awareness - however in smaller groups and following COVID-19 preventive measures. X-ray services, routine visits to community clinics and other health facilities remain unchanged except for maintaining physical distance and ensuring infection prevention and control measures.
"WHO TB team is comprised by a district medical officer, two field supervisors, a radiographer, two medical technologists for laboratory and ten junior field assistants. Together, we support the existing health workforce in Cox’s Bazar in accelerating TB service delivery. In addition, health workers at the UHC coordinate, detect cases, provide treatment, follow up and engage communities for increased public awareness”, explains WHO District Medical Officer, Dr Sabbir Ahmed.
The team is coordinated by Dr Sabbir in whom lays the responsibility of supervising TB activities in Ukhiya and Teknaf while liaising with the NTP, Civil Surgeon office, health facilities and NGO partners in Cox’s Bazar.
WHO District Medical Officer, Dr Sabbir Ahmed following up on the current status of TB activities with Field Supervisor, Md. Toslem Uddin, and Field Assistant, Rony Dhor, in the refugee camps. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
At household level, WHO Field Assistant Shiuli Nasrin is identifying TB presumptive cases and referring them to the nearest TB clinic for further investigation and health education. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
“I joined the team in July, in a critical moment for the TB program. My working experience in the Rohingya refugee camps on promoting health education and routine immunization, has helped me accelerate TB awareness and early detection among these populations”, tells WHO Junior Field Assistant Shiuli Nasrin.
Prior to COVID-19, community engagement sessions used to be conducted in Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities, health posts and at different small community gatherings reaching over 5000 people every month. These community sessions were followed by distribution of sputum collection pot and referral of suspected TB patients to near-by BRAC facilities for further evaluation and diagnosis.
Adapted to COVID-19, the new normal of community engagement sessions for TB awareness continue in the host communities and refugee camps led by exceptional frontline health care workers highly committed with ensuring prevention and care services to the vulnerable populations of Cox’s Bazar.
WHO Field Assistant, Najubul Alam, conducting a TB awareness session for Rohingya men and boys in Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. WHO Bangladesh/Tatiana Almeida
Between April and June 2020, 273 persons from the host community were diagnosed with TB among 2087 TB suspected cases. As for the Rohingya refugees, 395 persons were diagnosed with TB out of 5454 suspected cases.