UK medical team on way to Cox's Bazar to combat diphtheria outbreak

A British medical team from the UK's Emergency Medical Team (EMT) are making their way to Cox's Bazar to save thousands of lives at risk from a rapid and deadly outbreak of diphtheria.

The team, including 40 British doctors, nurses and firefighters, from the EMT will be deployed to Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar for six weeks, where clinicians will work using existing health facilities.

This will include 36 NHS medics, such as doctors, nurses and epidemiologists who will provide immediate specialist life-saving care to tackle the diphtheria outbreak, reports UNB.

Five logistic staff from UK fire and rescue services are present in the team who will provide expert advice to create the right infrastructure for the EMT to start their urgent work, said the report.

This is the first ever deployment of Britain's EMT since it was certified by the WHO in 2016 and will see more than a dozen medical heroes fly out followed by the rest in the days after.

The UK's latest response follows a formal request for assistance from the WHO and the government of Bangladesh after more than 2,000 suspected cases and 22 reported deaths from the airborne virus.

This is expected to increase significantly over the Christmas period and there are currently not enough staffs or beds to manage the outbreak, said the British High Commission in Dhaka on Thursday.

Diphtheria is a fast spreading, extremely deadly infection, and there are a reported 160 new cases every day in Cox's Bazar which is home to more than 655,000 Rohingya people who have recently fled the violence and military persecution in Myanmar.

It is especially dangerous for children who are particularly vulnerable.

It causes extreme difficulty breathing, inflammation of the heart which can lead to heart failure, problems with the nervous system and fatal paralysis.

People in the UK are routinely vaccinated against diphtheria; however, the overcrowded camps are a breeding ground for this fatal disease. DFID is already providing vaccines in response to the crisis.

The UK's support will strengthen the capacity of the government of Bangladesh and NGOs to manage future outbreaks.

An advance team travelled to Cox's Bazar on Wednesday to make logistical preparations.