In collaboration with other partners, WHO and the Health Sector Cox's Bazar hosted a stakeholder symposium to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the subsequent 16 Days of Activism. The symposium aimed to enhance accountability, foster collaboration, and coordinate holistic referrals. The primary objective was to improve service delivery, access, safety, facility preparedness, and the overall quality of healthcare at health facilities in Teknaf, Ukhiya, and Cox's Bazar districts. In November 2024, the WHO-led Health Sector held regular monthly coordination meetings at Cox's Bazar, Upazila, and Camp levels. These meetings provided health partners with situation analysis on health including epidemiology and disease surveillance (e.g., dengue, cholera), routine EPI and AFP & VPD surveillance, sexual and reproductive health, community health, emergency preparedness and response, and mental health activities and the JRP 2025. Through these meetings, WHO maintained its leadership role by actively coordinating the health response and disseminating essential information to Health Sector partners.
The WHO-led Health Sector convened a Peer Review Team (PRT) meeting on November 19, 2024, to systematically review health project submissions for inclusion in the JRP 2025. Composed of representatives from the Health Sector SAG, the PRT evaluated the proposals based on criteria such as technical and operational relevance, feasibility, fundraising track record, coordination commitments, and adherence to humanitarian principles. Ultimately, the PRT recommended 15 out of the 23 projects for inclusion. WHO and the Health Sector Information Management Team have updated all their regular information management products for November 2024. The live interactive dashboards (4W, HeRAMS, training calendar, etc.) and other published products are available at: https://rohingyaresponse.org/sectors/coxsbazar/health/
The GBViE team organised a training session for healthcare providers, including doctors, nurses, midwives, and medical in-charges, recognising their unique role in addressing the health and psychosocial needs of Gender-Based Violence or Intimate Partner Violence (GBV IPV) survivors. The training aimed to raise awareness among managers, policymakers, and health service implementers about GBV risk mitigation, fostering an informed health-sector response and enhancing the capacity of healthcare providers and multidisciplinary teams.
The team organised a workshop for GBV service providers, including GBV focal points and case workers, to produce high-quality, harmonized GBV IPV incident data across various programs and reduce data duplication in health facilities in Ukhiya, Teknaf, and Cox's Bazar district. This initiative aimed to equip GBV focal points and caseworkers with the skills to safely collect, store, and analyse reported GBV incident data, and to promote the safe and ethical sharing of this data.
To enhance the capacity of GBV focal points and counsellors from primary health centres (PHCs), who also serve as case workers and provide comprehensive services, the GBViE team organised a workshop on compassionate and empathetic referrals -"In Her Shoes". This training aimed to equip these professionals with the skills to listen to survivors, validate their experiences, offer compassionate care and link them to additional GBV services.
To raise awareness and build capacity for preventing and responding to sexual misconduct, the PRS team reviewed and adapted Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials. These materials aim to create awareness, enhance the ability to detect, prevent, report, and respond to sexual misconduct among staff, collaborators, and beneficiaries, and promote positive behaviour change for a safe workplace environment. The IEC materials also include community-based safeguarding visual key messages that will be displayed in various health facilities in the Rohingya refugee camps.
A briefing session on preventing and responding to sexual misconduct was held for newly recruited staff (one International UN Volunteer and one staff member). This session highlighted existing WHO policies on preventing and responding to sexual misconduct and other abusive behaviours. It also allowed participants to familiarise themselves with different PSEA reporting mechanisms and platforms.