Towards a socially just model: balancing hunger and response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

30, April 2020 | Bangladesh

Authors:

Abstract

In Bangladesh, the James P. Grant School of Public Health is undertaking responsive research to try and understand the needs of the population during COVID-19. The multi- disciplinary research includes 80 case studies in urban slums to capture the lived expe- riences and the impact of shutdown of the people living and working in Dhaka during COVID-19. In addition, a rapid large scale urban/rural survey is being conducted via phone interviews, with follow-ups, aimed to assess the possible effects of the pandemic on several domains of a household or family such as consumption, income, health, coping strat- egies, psychological well-being and gender. The survey takes a dynamic approach: ques- tions are modified based on current under- standings and relevant emerging issues related to the crisis. With a focus on margin- ality, interviews have taken place with the transgender group of people commonly known as ‘Hijra’ in South Asian countries and with street workers including adolescence and young adults.