The project aims to improve the health status of the Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar to reduce vulnerabilities in the refugee camps and increase the utilization of comprehensive healthcare services by targeted refugees. Health services in the Rohingya refugee camps are inadequate in addressing the health-related needs of the over 900,000 refugees. Only 17% of the 200 health facilities in the camps have 24/7 access, and only three health facilities have surgical facilities. Women and adolescent girls’ access to sexual and reproductive health services have also been affected by the COVID-19 lockdowns and reallocation of health care resources. These sexual and reproductive health gaps can result in avoidable maternal and infant mortality and long-term gynaecological health problems. There is a low level of understanding and awareness of sexual and reproductive health exacerbated by stigmatisation around family planning, contraception and menstrual hygiene management. This cultural issue limits women and girls’ access to items and information that would support their health and hygiene. This project also addresses men’s control on women’s mobility and health issues, particularly decisions about childbearing, pregnancy-related health care, abortion, family planning issues, and women requiring men’s permission to visit health centres. Access to these is even more difficult for women and adolescent girls with disabilities and in women-headed households. Project activities include: (1) supporting and capacity strengthening of up to 13 BRAC health care facilities for delivering comprehensive, environment-friendly primary healthcare services particularly to women and girls with special focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), disabilities, mental health and gender-based violence (GBV), as well as offering COVID-19 screening capacity; (2) training up to 100 health service providers on modern methods of family planning and adolescent reproductive health and up to 44 doctors on clinical management of rape; (3) improving the health status of approximately 218,000 refugees in camps in Cox’s Bazar with a particular focus on women, adolescent girls, children, persons with disabilities and survivors of sexual and GBV; (4) providing nutritional assessment for children under five years and pregnant and lactating women. Counseling, follow up and referral of acute malnutrition cases from the BRAC health facilities to adjacent dedicated nutrition centers; (5) delivering essential health and nutrition messages to the Rohingya refugees with special focus on SRHR, GBV, malnutrition and COVID 19 prevention especially for women and girls; (6) sensitizing community members, such as local leaders, religious leaders parents and adolescents on gender equality and inclusion issues and increasing the utilization of SRHR, GBV and nutrition services; (7) engaging men in SRHR services through group sessions and individual counseling to sensitise men about their role in SRHR and use of family planning methods and motivate them to play a supportive role during pregnancy and child rearing so that women can understand and practice their SRH rights; and (8) training project staff, community health workers and volunteers on delivering gender responsive and inclusive services and on gender responsive data management and reporting. The activities are implemented in collaboration with local authorities, civil society organizations and communities to work towards the institutionalization of approaches.
