In Bangladesh, ADB's Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program Helps Decrease Cases of Life-Threatening Rabies Virus

Transcript

In Bangladesh, around 400,000 animal bite cases are reported annually. Despite these numbers, there has been significant progress in preventing human deaths due to rabies in the last ten years. But rabies infection still poses a major health risk in the country.

“I was outside of our house doing some chores when I was bitten by a dog. The cut from the bite was bleeding. I was in severe pain. I went to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Mohakhali to get treated. The doctor told me that rabies is a deadly disease. So my family and I were worried about the situation,” shares Maria Tabassum Eka, animal bite patient.

Increased access to an anti-rabies vaccine is crucial to control virus spread, especially in rural and impoverished communities.

“The rabies disease is 100%  preventable but also 100% fatal. We've successfully managed animal bite cases. Back in 2010, up to about 2000 people were dying due to rabies infections. In 2022, this number decreased to only 35 cases,” explains Dr. Md Mizanur Rahman, Assistant Director Superintendent, Infectious Diseases Hospital.

How is this made possible? Let’s trace back the process which ensures that anti-rabies shots are available to every Bangladeshi who needs them.

“Bangladesh government has been providing rabies vaccine to all affected people free of cost. The government purchases all the vaccine periodically and we deliver it to them. All the components of the vaccines were imported.

Throughout the country there are 32 depots that are equipped with chain places and with generators for a continuous maintenance of temperature. So we ensure the transfer and storage of all our vaccines. And in a country like Bangladesh this is a fantastic achievement.

Eastern Bank, Ltd. (EBL) helped us get this foreign currency and facilitated availability of this particular vaccine in Bangladesh,” narrates Abdul Muktadir, Managing Director, Incepta Pharma, Ltd.

Incepta requires financing to initiate and manage these logistics.

And here’s where Eastern Bank and ADB come in. Eastern Bank is ADB’s partner financial institution that helps fill trade finance gaps by assuming risks for companies like Incepta.

ADB works on a complex chain of processes starting from initial inquiries from partners like Eastern Bank. ADB aims to respond to these inquiries within 24 hours. These efficient processes ensure that people and communities can access products when and where they need them.

“We are doing a lot of trade business with Incepta. So, we provide them with trade finance facilities. Our relationship with ADB goes back to 17 years. And probably we were among the first few banks who got these trade finance facilities from ADB. Recently, with the supply chain disruption, ADB actually again came forward and enhanced their limit to maintain, or to reduce the supply chain disruption for Eastern Bank and its customers,” says Ali Reza Md. Iftekhar, Managing Director and CEO of Eastern Bank, Ltd.

ADB’s Trade and Supply Chain Finance Program works with partners to deliver solutions and products to make global trade green, resilient, inclusive, transparent, and socially responsible.

In Bangladesh, ADB's trade finance support enabled the import of a life-saving rabies vaccine for Maria.

“Easy access to the anti-rabies vaccination gave me and my family peace of mind. And now I'm able to go back to my daily activities without worrying about the complication of the deadly virus.”