Exploring risky health behaviors and vulnerability to sexually transmitted diseases among transnational undocumented labor migrants from Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: In Bangladesh, remittances constitute a substantial portion of the country's foreign exchange earnings and serve as a primary source of income. However, a considerable number of Bangladeshi citizens reside overseas without proper documentation, exposing them to significant challenges such as limited access to healthcare and socioeconomic opportunities. Moreover, their irregular migration status often results in engaging in risky health behaviors that further exacerbate their vulnerability. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the risky health behavior and HIV/STI susceptibility of Bangladeshi irregular international migrants residing across the globe with undocumented status. METHODS: Using a qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Approach (IPA), 25 illegal migrants were interviewed who are currently living illegally or returned to their home country. The author used a thematic approach to code and analyze the data, combining an integrated data-driven inductive approach with a deductive approach. Concurrent processing and coding were facilitated by employing the Granheim model in data analysis. RESULTS: The study identified four risky health behaviors among irregular Bangladeshi migrants: hazardous living conditions, risky jobs, suicidal ideation, and tobacco consumption. Additionally, the authors found some HIV/STI risk behavior among them including engaging in unprotected sex, consuming alcohol and drugs during sexual activity, and having limited access to medical facilities. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study can be used by health professional, governments, policymakers, NGOs, and concerned agencies to develop welfare strategies and initiatives for vulnerable undocumented migrant workers.

Assessment of water, hygiene, and sanitation practice and associated factors among Bihari refugee camp in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: The global significance of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) cannot be overstated, extending far beyond the confines of developing nations and encompassing even the most developed ones. This study, rooted in the Bihari refugee camp in Bangladesh, seeks to underscore the universality of WASH concerns. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design and a structured questionnaire, we conducted a meticulous evaluation of WASH practices with 313 participants selected through random sampling. Results: Findings shows the water practice, among all of them, only 4.8% of the respondents were very happy with the water supply system and 16.0% of the respondents were happy with this. A total of 29.7% of the respondents were satisfied with safe drinking water and only 4.8% of the respondents were very satisfied with safe drinking water. Regarding the hygiene practice, among all respondents, 10.2% of them were satisfied with using the same bathroom by multiple people. Only 5.4% respondents were happy in their living environment. Regarding sanitation practice, only 31.3% had private toilet facilities. Among all of the respondents, 13.7% of the respondents were satisfied with using the same toilet by multiple people. Respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.01) and self-employed (p < 0.04) were satisfied with the water supply. Similarly, respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.03) and self-employed (p < 0.00) were satisfied with safe drinking water. Respondents who were illiterate (p < 0.02) and whose monthly income was below 8000 BDT (p < 0.00) were satisfied using same bathroom by multiple people. Respondents who were self-employed (p < 0.01), whose monthly income 8000-12,000 BDT (p < 0.01) and having single room (p < 0.00) were satisfied using the same toilet by multiple people. Conclusion: Enhanced access to safe WASH facilities, coupled with a comprehensive understanding of the study's findings, have the potential to serve as vital signposts for the development and implementation of policies and interventions.

Exploring barriers to accessing healthcare services for older indigenous people in the Chittagong Hill Tract, Bangladesh.

We aim to investigate the obstacles faced by elderly indigenous individuals in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh when accessing healthcare services. A qualitative research approach was utilized, and data collection was carried out in three distinct regions of the aforementioned area. A total of 30 in-depth, semi-structured interviews and participant observations were conducted to achieve the research objectives. Thematic analysis utilizing both a deductive and inductive approach was employed to analyze the data. The Granheim method and Nvivo-12 software were utilized to process, analyze and code the data. The study's findings indicate that a lack of knowledge about healthcare needs, geographical barriers, poor financial conditions, higher cost of medical services, scarcity of hospitals nearby and communication barriers all contribute to inadequate access to healthcare services. By recognizing the factors that impede access to healthcare services in this region, this study offers valuable insight for policymakers and healthcare providers on how to enhance healthcare services for the indigenous population, especially the elderly. Furthermore, the government can adopt a more efficient approach to include these elderly individuals in various social safety net programs.

Mapping out the vulnerabilities of migrant women in the informal sector: A qualitative investigation in Dhaka city.

The current study seeks to explore the vulnerabilities typically encountered by female migrants in the informal sector in Dhaka city. It used a qualitative research approach, purposively selecting four areas from Dhaka city. Twenty-five semi-structured in-depth interviews during eight months of participant observation were conducted to accomplish the study objective. The authors used the capability approach theory to elucidate the phenomenon of vulnerability experienced by female migrants in the informal sector. The thematic data analyses were performed using the Granheim approach and NVivo 12 software. The findings of this study suggest that migrant women who work on the street face a number of significant challenges. These challenges include sexual assault and harassment, social stigma and cultural barriers, financial obstacles, and extortion and bribery. The authors recommend that governments provide access to state credits, social security, health insurance, and other forms of social protection for informal sector workers. The finding revealed that informal workers are often excluded from these essential benefits, making it difficult for such workers to expand their businesses or have a safety net in case of illness, unemployment, or other shocks.

Social vulnerability, impacts and adaptations strategies in the face of natural hazards: insight from riverine islands of Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: Bangladesh is one of the countries at risk of natural disasters due to climate change. In particular, inhabitants of its riverine islands (char) confront ongoing climatic events that heighten their vulnerability. This study aims to assess social vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation strategies to climate change in the riverine island areas of Bangladesh. METHODS: A mixed-method approach incorporating qualitative and quantitative procedures was used on data collected from 180 households of riverine islands in Gaibandha, Bangladesh. The social vulnerability of riverine island communities was assessed based on their adaptation capacity, sensitivity, and exposure to climatic stressors. RESULTS: The findings show that char dwellers' vulnerability, impacts, and adaptation capability to climate change vary significantly depending on their proximity to the mainland. Social vulnerability factors such as geographical location, fragile and low-grade housing conditions, illiteracy and displacement, climate-sensitive occupation and low-income level, and so on caused to the in-height vulnerability level of these particular areas. This study also displays that climate change and its associated hazards cause severe life and livelihood concerns for almost all households. In this case, the riverine dwellers employed several adaptation strategies to enhance their way of life to the disaster brought on changing climate. However, low education facilities, deficiency of useful information on climate change, poor infrastructure, and shortage of money are still the supreme hindrance to the sustainability of adaptation. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of evaluating the susceptibility of local areas to climate change and emphasize the need for tailored local initiatives and policies to reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptability in communities residing in char households.

Microplastic as an invisible threat to the coral reefs: Sources, toxicity mechanisms, policy intervention, and the way forward.

Microplastic (MP) pollution waste is a global macro problem, and research on MP contamination has been done in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Preventing MP pollution from hurting them is essential to maintaining coral reefs' ecological and economic benefits. However, the public and scientific communities must pay more attention to MP research on the coral reef regions' distribution, effects, mechanisms, and policy evaluations. Therefore, this review summarizes the global MP distribution and source within the coral reefs. Current knowledge extends the impacts of MP on coral reefs, existing policy, and further recommendations to mitigate MPs contamination on corals are critically analyzed. Furthermore, mechanisms of MP on coral and human health are also highlighted to pinpoint research gaps and potential future studies. Given the escalating plastic usage and the prevalence of coral bleaching globally, there is a pressing need to prioritize research efforts on marine MPs that concentrate on critical coral reef areas. Such investigations should encompass an extensive and crucial understanding of the distribution, destiny, and effects of the MPs on human and coral health and the potential hazards of those MPs from an ecological viewpoint.

Understanding rural local government response during COVID-19-induced lockdown: perspective from Bangladesh.

This study intends to explore the responses of local government during the COVID-19-induced lockdown in the rural areas, with particular emphasis on Bangladesh. By adopting a qualitative phenomenological research approach and employing multi-method data collection techniques (for instance, Key Informant Interview (KII), Focus Group Discussion (FGD), participant observation, and content analysis), this study found that the local governments managed the crisis of the pandemic relatively well with its limited manpower and funding through adequate preparedness and prevention strategies; effective emergency responses; and consolidated post-lockdown measures. The study revealed that the Bangladesh local government promptly took some essential actions, such as preparedness and prevention, arrangement of home quarantine and isolation, the training program for readiness, and disseminated crucial information to the local people during the pandemic, such as using masks, hand washing and sanitizing, and social distancing. Besides, the local government delivered relief, such as food and non-food items and financial support. Furthermore, the rural local government took post-lockdown responses to tackle pandemic in rural Bangladesh. Nevertheless, the service delivery individuals from local governance encountered numerous challenges, like scarcity of manpower, less support, and superstition, while providing services during the pandemic.

Understanding the Food Insecurity and Coping Strategies of Indigenous Households during COVID-19 Crisis in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study.

This study examined the food insecurity and coping mechanisms among the indigenous Bangladeshi population of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region to extract empirical evidence on the ongoing discussion on the COVID-19 pandemic-exacerbated food-insecurity situation. The study adopted a qualitative approach by interviewing 60 indigenous households. Data were collected in two phases between 15 June 2020, and 30 July 2021 in Bangladesh's Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region. Thematic data analyses were performed using the Granheim approach and NVivo-12 software. The authors used Huston's social-ecological theory to explain the indigenous coping mechanisms. The research evidence revealed that most households experienced challenges over daily foods, manifesting in the decreasing consumption of them, the increased price of food items, a food crisis due to an income shock, malnutrition, the shifting to unhealthy food consumption, starvation and hunger, and food insufficiency, thereby leading to mental stress. This study further revealed that the indigenous population took crucial coping strategies to survive the pandemic. In response to COVID-19, they took loans and borrowed foods, reduced expenses, changed their food habits, avoided nutritional foods, relied on vegetables, sold domestic animals and properties, collected forest and hill foods, and depended on governmental and societal relief. This study also provides the in-depth policy actions for the urgent intervention of government, stakeholders, policymakers, NGOs, and development practitioners to take necessary initiatives to enhance the quality of life of the people that were affected by the post-pandemic recovery period.

Climate change induced human displacement in Bangladesh: Implications on the livelihood of displaced riverine island dwellers and their adaptation strategies.

In Bangladesh, many people are being displaced in riverine island (char) areas every year due to climate change and its associated natural catastrophes. This study intends to investigate the impact of climate change on internally displaced char people's lives and livelihoods along with local adaptation strategies and hindrances to the coping mechanism. Data have been collected from 280 internally displaced households in two sub-districts. A mixed-method approach has been considered combined with qualitative and quantitative methods. The results disclose that frequent flooding, riverbank erosion, and crop loss are the leading causes for relocation, and social relations are impeded in the new place of residence. Increasing summer and winter temperatures, recurrent flooding, severity of riverbank erosion, and expanding disease outbreaks are also important indicators of climate change identified by displaced people, which are consistent with observed data. This study also reveals that almost all households come across severe livelihood issues like food shortage, unemployment and income loss, and housing and sanitation problems due to the changing climate associated with disasters in the former and present places. In response to this, the displaced people acclimatize applying numerous adaptation strategies in order to boost the livelihood resilience against climate change. However, fragile housing, financial conditions, and lack of own land are still the highest impediments to the sustainability of adaptation. Therefore, along with the government, several organizations should implement a dynamic resettlement project through appropriate scrutiny to eradicate the livelihood complications of internally displaced people.

Impact of climate change on human health: evidence from riverine island dwellers of Bangladesh.

This study aims to explore the impact of climate change on health, including local adaptation strategies. A mixed-method approach has been used in this study. The results reveal that increasing the frequency of flooding, severity of riverbank erosion and drought, and rising disease outbreak are the highest indicators of climate change perceived by riverine island (char) dwellers, which is similar to the observed data. It also uncovers, approximately all respondents encounter several health-related issues during different seasons where prevailing cold and cough with fever, skin diseases, and diarrhoea are the leading ailments. Several adaptation strategies are accommodated by char inhabitants in order to enhance resilience against the climate change health impacts, but the paucity of money, disrupted communication, lack of formal health-care centre are the most obstacles to the sustainability of adaptation. This research recommends that healthcare-associated project should be performed through proper monitoring for exterminating char dwellers' health issues.

Impacts of COVID-19 induced food insecurity among informal migrants: Insight from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Food insecurity is one of the rising problems in Bangladesh, and it is severely prevalent among informal migrant workers. In this case, the COVID-19 pandemic has multiplied the food insecurity of informal migrant workers. This study explores and synthesizes the COVID-19 induced food insecurity impact among informal migrants and recommends policy actions to tackle the COVID-19 led food crisis in Bangladesh. A qualitative research approach, including in-depth interviews, four FGDs, and participant observation, has been applied to data collection from different parts of Dhaka city. A thematic approach to interpretive phenomenological analysis is followed in this study. The results show that COVID-19 induced lockdown significantly affects informal migrants' household food security. Most participants report severe complications due to food insecurity like consuming less food, price hiking, no fish or meat, potato, and vegetable. Food insecurity leads to migrant's chronic food shortage, starvation, malnutrition of mother and children, and unhealthy food. As a result, the way of life of informal migrants has been directed to more fragility and vulnerability during the pandemic; even they are not affordable to maintain a minimal level of family affairs and necessity. The findings of this study would be essential guidelines for the governmental and non-governmental organizations and development practitioners to address the food insecurity situations.