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Bangladesh + 1 more

Bangladesh – Diphtheria Outbreak (DG ECHO, WHO) (ECHO Daily Flash of 22 December 2017)

  • Following a request for assistance from WHO and subsequent activation of the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), the United Kingdom offered a WHO-classified Emergency Medical Team (EMT) with approximately 40 personnel and medical equipment to be deployed to Bangladesh. A forward team will travel to Bangladesh on 23 December. The first part of the medical team will travel to Bangladesh on 28 December.

  • The international response also comprises an Australian EMT and Red Cross / Red Crescent teams from Japan, Iran and Malaysia.

  • A Diphtheria Response plan was adopted by the Government of Bangladesh on 20 December. It intends to establish sufficient capacity to accommodate 250 cases per day.

  • WHO is scaling up isolation and treatment capacity in strategic locations where the number of cases is expected to increase in the coming weeks.