How Are Lower Incomes of Bangladesh Experiencing COVID-19: Preliminary findings from an ongoing research.
2020.06.24
2 / 7ページ
The critical medical anthropology retained emphasis on the connection of health-related issues with the economic order and social forces. Emphasized with the macro societal determinants impacting health, the political economy of health approach concentrates its consideration on the economic, political and cultural aspects (Morsy, 1979). The critical approach of medical anthropology has influenced many anthropologists’ work while investigating how different groups of people perceived the health messages. By adopting the critical approach in this study, we try to trace out how health messages are constructed without concentrating lower incomes’ experiences of COVID-19 prevention and control messages and guidelines by exploring their everyday practicalities.
COVID-19 Situation in Bangladesh.
The official authority of Bangladesh confirmed first case of COVID-19 on 8 March 2020 and ten days later the first death. As part of responding mechanism, the government of Bangladesh (GoB) started taking initiative by closing educational institutions (school, college and universities) on 16th March. The government also instructed the local administrations to stop social, cultural, religious, political and business gatherings all over the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus. On 23rd March, the government announced the closure of all public and private offices from March 25 to April 4 except emergency services including hospitals, kitchen, drug stores etc. At that time, people also instructed to stay at home and discouraged to go outside except urgent needs. Interestingly, the inter district transportation was not suspended. As the government declared this shutdown as public holiday, as a result, many people including garment workers, day laborer, students, businessmen, government employee and temporary workers started travelling to their home village.
Along with other government agencies, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) have been closely working with different bodies of Bangladesh as part of response mechanism. Interestingly, religious organizations were not included on their efforts until when a meeting held with Islamic Religious Leaders in Islamic Foundation of Bangladesh on 29th March. After that meeting, the Imam (who lead the prayer) of all mosques across the country asked to sensitize the mass people about corona preventive measures including handwashing and maintaining social distance. Since then, the Imams and other religious leaders started sensitizing the mass on COVID-19 but their engagement restricted when The Ministry of Religious Affair imposed strict restrictions to limit the congregation of saying prayer in the mosques on 6th of April 2020.
Bangladesh armed forces also deployed during this time to help local administration to ensure social distancing and quarantine. As the number of confirmed cases have been increasing and the community transmission has begun, the closure of all public and private offices extended to 14th April 2020. In addition to that, the local administrations and law enforcing agencies locked down few areas which are considered as epicenter of spreading coronavirus.
A new decision came out on 27th April to open in the ready-made garments. The garments owners strictly instructed to ensure social distancing and follow health measures for their workers while working in the garments. Along with other public health professionals, Health Minister was not convinced to start the regular activities of the garments. However, another decision came out to open the shopping malls and markets across the country prior to Eid ul-Fitr – the biggest religious celebration of Muslims. Although, the authority of many big shopping malls decided not to open their shopping malls but a large number of small and medium shopping centers opened. On 22nd of May 2020, the authority has decided to relax travel restrictions. People started travelling through their personal vehicle. As a result, thousands of people started travelling to their village home desperately to celebrate Eid ul-Fitr. As of 3 July 2020, Bangladesh has experienced 128th day amid this pandemic. According to Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), as of 3rd July, out of 820,347 tests, the number of total COVID-19 positive case was 156,391 with 1,968 deaths while the number of recovered was 68,048.