The Australian Government and UNFPA are supporting the Government of Bangladesh in strengthening the provision of life-saving services for women and girls.

Through the partnership, UNFPA will install two tents at the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and OGSB Hospital to triage and screen patients, including pregnant women, for COVID-19 to mitigate risks of infection.  An estimated 72,000 women will be screened in the next six months.

Additionally, a total of 4,172 dignity kits catering to women and girls of reproductive age, and the third-gender community in Bangladesh, will be distributed. These dignity kits consist of items such as cloths, sanitary napkins, women’s underwear, bathing soap, laundry soap, nail clippers, hair oil, combs, rubber sandals, toothpaste and toothbrushes. To ensure protection from COVID-19 and dengue, the kits will also include hand sanitizers and mosquito repellents. The kits will also include helpline numbers to report incidents of gender-based violence. 

The items were officially handed over on 16 June during a virtual meeting between the Australian High Commissioner, HE Mr Jeremy Bruer; UNFPA Representative, Dr Asa Torkelsson; and Prof. Dr. Rowshan Ara Begum, Member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID19 and Former President of the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Bangladesh (OGSB).

By strengthening maternal healthcare and access to essential supplies, women and girls in Bangladesh will continue to have access to sexual and reproductive health services, including response services to gender-based violence. These efforts are coordinated through the UNFPA Asia Pacific Regional Office (APRO) prepositioning exercise.