26/03/2020//#COVID19 : In accordance with PMO/GoB directives, @ACFBangladesh will be significantly reducing our non-essential normal programs & Opérations, especially in Dhaka & Coxs Bazar.
Our leadership teams are working to reorganize ourselves, to support GoB led COVID suppression & mitigation strategies @ national & all district, Upazilla & Union & cities of #Bangladesh, with help of our CSO/NGO partners on the ground who understand & know the anxious citizens.
I want to tell my staff members, partners & community leaders that, as members of humanitarian community, we want to help you - BUT where you are, and safely. Please bear with us, until we get ourselves organized and make sure we can do what we do & get help to you & do no harm.
BUT, priority currently is to abide by government instructions and stay home/ where you are staying now & stay put for a few days! Avoid going out, unless for very essentials. Don’t Panic and keep yourselves healthy - both in mind & body.
Most importantly, in or out, day or night, bank or market - regular safe hand washing & good respiratory hygiene are essential. Practice safe social distancing. If you develop any of the symptoms, try isolating even with in family settings for a few days.
We all know this will last a few days/weeks. Going to be stressful, but is essential to fight this virus. Trust your government & NGO/CSO/CBO public health teams to assist you. In the mean time, make sure to make the best of the family time you have got in a while!
As a priority we are working on 4 response priorities;1)information provision & COVID19 Prévention behavioral adherence;2) water and sanitation services in public places & health facilities to enable hand hygiene;3) phone based psychosocial support to most affected COVID clusters
& last but not least, 4) Food. We are currently working hard to re-design our food program SOPs & quality control to ensure the highest hygiene and safe packaging & delivery mechanisms for those in most need.
We are eternally thankful & greatful to Bangladesh’s health workers who have the hardest days ahead. But we are with you and working hard & smart & with governments health lead response to flatten the curve, and delay the peaks in wash part of this country. Don’t give up hope!
And for my own team #ActionHeroes & fellow CSO/NGO public health teams- please be smart & safe first and work with & under GoB response structures in district and cities. Do small things - do things not needing a lot of technical support. Train teams on personal COVID safety!!
Train and monitor your teams adherence to safety plan & if anyone develop symptoms, make accommodations to protect themselves (isolate) & their families. This virus does not differentiate no-one and DO NOT create situations which puts communities & your own staff at risk.
Focus on identifying and training additional staff/team & in same COVId hygiene & safety regiments, if there emerges critical gaps in key service operation -esp. those supporting health centers or food services etc. plan as much ahead!
And for general public & other sector actors - Focus yourselves and your families - stay at home & leave it to the GoB & experts. BUT, please don’t turn your good intentions turn into bad actions and create more problems. Protect older generation & keep them healthy.
Even when helping your family members or neighbors, always practice good respiratory hygiene. Stay safe, keep others safe. Even when receiving services, please keep 6 foot distance from service people who are helping & reduce their chance of infections. Cover while coughing 😷
Signing off with a emoji challenge:
Decrypt👇🏽:
1) 🧼 👉🏾 🙌🏽, 🙏🏾. ..
2) 👯♀️... 🤦♂️.. ☠️.
3)🤤😪🤮🤢🤧...👣👣👣👣👣👣.. 👨🏽🌾👣👣👣👣👣👣👨🏽🍳👣👣👣👣👣👣👮🏻♀️👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👩🚒👣👣👣👣👣👣👣🎅👣👣👣👣👣👣🧟♂️👣👣👣👣👣👣🦸🏽🧛🏽♂️
4) 👉🏾👈🏽, 🙏🏾, 🛑 🦠
5) Stay 🏠!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
Decrypt👇🏽:
1) 🧼 👉🏾 🙌🏽, 🙏🏾. ..
2) 👯♀️... 🤦♂️.. ☠️.
3)🤤😪🤮🤢🤧...👣👣👣👣👣👣.. 👨🏽🌾👣👣👣👣👣👣👨🏽🍳👣👣👣👣👣👣👮🏻♀️👣👣👣👣👣👣👣👩🚒👣👣👣👣👣👣👣🎅👣👣👣👣👣👣🧟♂️👣👣👣👣👣👣🦸🏽🧛🏽♂️
4) 👉🏾👈🏽, 🙏🏾, 🛑 🦠
5) Stay 🏠!!! 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬
