This project was based at Fasiuddin Khan Research Foundation in Bangladesh Overview Project title: Exploring personal preparedness and self-protective measures against COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study protocol of frontline health care workers in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Based at: Fasiuddin Khan Research Foundation (FKRF), Bangladesh Start date: July 2020 End date: September 2020 Co-principal investigators: Dr Farzana Khan, Professor Liz Grant Project team: Hasina Karim, Dr Tasnim Azad, Saiduzzaman Bhuiyan, Professor Samir K Saha Background Frontline health care workers (FHCWs) face a number of safety concerns when providing services during the current COVID-19 pandemic, with a significant number catching the virus themselves. As the pandemic escalates, there is a need to establish an effective, and socially and culturally sensitive, protection system to protect FHCWs. There is a lack of research relating to low and middle-income country FHCWs’ perceived behaviour, including their understanding of personal preparation and self-protective measures in a pandemic. There are particular needs exemplified by working in refugee settings of intense humanitarian crises. There is currently no global information on how COVID-19 will impact refugee settings. FHCWs in these settings face exceptional challenges, working with limited resources, with a population who are fearful of external authority systems, and who have endured many atrocities. Aim and impact This project will explore the perceptions and feelings of a community of FHCWs (including doctors, nurses and community health workers) in Cox’s Bazar, about personal preparation and protective measures for FHCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will provide essential information on how to establish and implement an effective, and socially and culturally sensitive, protection system for FHCWs – an urgent requirement as the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly escalates. Key developments Project final report submitted. Paper is being prepared for the Lancet Global Health Presentations made in Bangladesh Health Sector Partners Meetings at Cox’s Bazar Bangladesh Newspaper article to be submitted An article for IAHPC News Bulletin An article for ehospice Project data Download the project Data Management Plan This article was published on 2024-09-24
