Introduction
Healthcare delivery systems worldwide have faced disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With over 700,000 Rohingya people living in congested refugee camps in Bangladesh, there has been an upsurge in the spread of the virus (Akter et al., 2021). The first outbreak occurred on May 14, 2020, among the Rohingya population, and by July 2021, 2147 refugees were reported to be infected (Khan et al., 2021).
The cases increased even further due to limited health services, congestion, malnutrition, limited access to basic amenities, and constant outbreaks of infectious diseases. Given the poor living conditions, the Rohingya refugee population in Bangladesh may be at higher risk for the spread and impact of COVID-19.
The COVID-19 Outbreak Among the Rohingya Refugees
Community resilience and awareness are crucial keys to controlling any pandemic outbreak. Trusted sources of communication, such as digital information and media, play a significant role in building community resilience. However, these keys are lacking among the Rohingya community, thus exposing them to various vulnerabilities during the pandemic. For instance, Akter et al. (2021) state that only 4% of Rohingya refugees possessed televisions, while 73% of the households had cell phones. This made it difficult for them to access the relevant health information regarding how to shield themselves.
In addition, ineffective formal responses, low testing capacity, and dawdling vaccination progress increased the refugees’ vulnerability to the virus. The highly congested camps contained tiny shelters whereby each was allotted between 10 to 11 people to live (Akter et al., 2021). Most of the time, the rooms were hot and overcrowded, had leaking walls and roofs, and lacked proper lighting and ventilation.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the compromised living conditions of the Rohingya people made them highly sensitive to COVID-19. With this state of living, the risk of contracting coronavirus was high, and maintaining restrictions for controlling the virus became harder. As access to healthcare, testing, and vaccination was limited, there were challenges in implementing public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus in these vulnerable populations.
Reference
Akter, S., Dhar, T. K., Rahman, A. M., & Uddin, M. K. (2021). Investigating the resilience of refugee camps to COVID-19: A case of Rohingya settlements in Bangladesh. Journal of Migration and Health, 4. Web.
Khan, M. S. I., Akbar, S. M. F., Kimitsuki, K., Saito, N., Yahiro, T., Mahtab, M. A., & Nishizono, A. (2021). Recentdownhill course of COVID-19 at Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh: Urgent action solicited. Journal of Global Health, 11. Web.