The joint efforts between the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the UK Emergency Medical Team (EMT) greatly benefit Covid-19 response efforts, especially for the most vulnerable in Cox’s Bazar, said the migration agency on Sunday.

“The support provided by UK EMT on capacity building, technical guidance and supervision of clinical teams enhances the quality of service provided to both the host community and refugee populations,” said Dr Charles Erik Halder, a National Programme Officer for IOM’s Emergency Preparedness & Response Programme in Cox’s Bazar.

The first confirmed case of Covid-19 in Cox’s Bazar was found on March 23, 2020. As of October 11, 4,602 cases among the host community have been confirmed in the district.

In the Rohingya refugee settlements, a total 276 Covid-19 cases have been found and eight deaths have been officially recorded. Of the 276 confirmed, 134 patients have recovered and 134 are isolated in health facilities within the camp.

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The UK EMT is the frontline of the UK government’s response to a humanitarian crisis overseas–funded by UK aid from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The first UK EMT served in Cox’s Bazar from May to July 2020, while the second team of experts arrived in July 2020 and remain on the ground, working with IOM to enhance the quality of care in SARI ITCs, improve Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and IPC initiatives, provide training and capacity-building for health workers and strengthen the local capacity for active case surveillance and home-based care.

Sarah Collis, Health Lead of UK EMT’s first team, said of the partnership: “Working with IOM was an incredible experience for the UK EMT. We were quickly welcomed into the team which enabled us to get straight to work, sharing our technical knowledge and immediately driving the response forward.”

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