Emergency Funding to Sustain Health Services in Bangladesh after Devastating Floods

Emergency Funding to Sustain Health Services in Bangladesh after Devastating Floods is sponsored by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. This emergency funding addresses health needs in flood-affected districts of Bangladesh, precipitated by severe flooding.

Global Fund Approves Additional Funding to Sustain Health Services in Bangladesh After Devastating Floods - News Releases - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Global Fund Approves Additional Funding to Sustain Health Services in Bangladesh After Devastating Floods GENEVA – The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund) has approved US$1.

06 million in emergency funding to respond to health needs in the eastern districts of Bangladesh, precipitated by severe flooding. Since 22 August 2024, heavy rainfall, combined with a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and the release of water from upstream sources, has led to the worst flooding Bangladesh has experienced in three decades. As of 9 September 2024, 540,510 people had been displaced and 71 people had died.

Rescue operations in hard-to-reach areas have been hampered by the lack of adequate road infrastructure and mobile networks, leaving 1. 2 million people stranded without communication or access to aid. The flooding has resulted in widespread destruction of water, sanitation, community and health infrastructure, generating a severe public health crisis.

The new funding will support a range of interventions directed at people in temporary shelters, health service facilities, and remote and hard-to-reach areas in 37 flood-affected sub-districts.

These interventions will include testing and treatment services for HIV, tuberculosis (TB) and malaria; nutritional support for TB patients currently on treatment to ensure the effectiveness of their treatment, reduce the risk of relapse and mitigate their increased vulnerability to other infections; screening for febrile illness and other climate-induced diseases; deployment of mobile health teams and temporary health care centers in the shelters; and distribution of insecticide-treated nets in flood-impacted areas to prevent the risk of developing vector-borne diseases.

The funding will be implemented across a four-month period by the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP) and the international development organization BRAC. “Saving lives is our priority.

We are committed to restoring essential healthcare services as soon as possible for TB, malaria and HIV patients impacted by the floods, and providing support to government health facilities to resume their services,” said Mark Edington, Head of Grant Management at the Global Fund.

“Bangladesh’s response to HIV, TB and malaria has been consistent and robust over the years, yet the escalating impacts of climate change threaten the country’s progress. With flexibility, innovative approaches and strong partnerships with emergency responders and community groups on the ground, Bangladesh and the Global Fund can overcome the challenges posed by climate change. ” The US$1.

06 million in emergency funding comes on top of the US$166. 3 million allocated to Bangladesh to sustain progress against HIV, TB and malaria and strengthen health and community systems across the country over the 2023-2025 period.

Since 2003, the Global Fund has invested nearly US$900 million in Bangladesh to support the country’s progress against HIV, TB and malaria, build more resilient and sustainable systems for health, and protect existing gains in the face of the many challenges posed by climate change, including cyclones, flooding, extreme heat and rising sea levels.