Regional : COVID-19 Emergency Response

Health / Disease control of communicable disease

On 30 January 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern. On 11 March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. Confirmed COVID-19 cases across South Asia are increasing. The first case in Bhutan was confirmed on 6 March 2020, when a foreign tourist tested positive on 3 March 2020. Until mid-May, positive cases remained below 10. Thereafter, the number of positive cases started increasing rapidly since Bhutanese returning from overseas, reaching 77 on 1 July 2020, of which 50 have recovered with no deaths. Due to stringent measures and lengthier quarantine requirement, i.e., 21 days, Bhutan successfully managed to avoid local transmission so far. In Maldives, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) reported the first case on 7 March 2020. As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Maldives' capital Mal

recorded a significant increase in COVID-19 cases in the first weeks following the first confirmed local transmission on April 15. As of 2 July 2020, the number of confirmed cases had reached 2,382. The country has recorded 1,954 recoveries and 9 deaths.

The health systems in both countries are severely strained by increased workload on health workers to carry out surveillance and testing, prioritization of health managers and frontline health workers in preparing for COVID-19 cases at the expense of other health system priorities, stockouts of infection control supplies, and disruptions to routine services including outreach services that are essential for maintaining primary health care.

The Asia Pacific Disaster Response Fund (APDRF) grants will be used for (i) procurement of essential supplies, i.e., test kits and reagents, PPE, medical goods and supplies, acquire laboratory equipment; (ii) top-up of overtime salary, transportation, recruitment of emergency health workers and support laboratory experts; (iii) transport and supply-chain logistics; and (iv) any additional goods or supplies required for disease preparedness.

The number of confirmed cases continues to rise in both countries. Preparedness for further disease outbreak and emergency response arrangements still requires additional resources to meet the gaps. Managing the increasing number of cases that will require hospitalization and critical care as well as identifying the suspected cases remains a significant challenge. To address the current situation, provision of medical equipment and enhancing facilities for diagnostic and critical care services, identifying and managing cases, increasing the capacity of laboratories, financing overtime for stretched health workers, increasing the scope of surveillance, and providing for improved infection, prevention and control measures (IPC), as well as healthcare waste management are required immediately. Both governments need support to augment their limited response capacity and constrained financial and human resources to ensure effective and timely life-saving efforts. The United Nations humanitarian/resident coordinators have confirmed the needs of both countries and the amounts of funding required to assist in alleviating the situation.

The Government of Bhutan requires additional funding to enhance its capacity to meet ongoing lifesaving needs and upscale the emergency response. This includes personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline responders, equipment and supplies to enhance testing capacity, medical consumables, and funding to support additional health initiatives. As the situation evolves in the coming weeks, further requirements are anticipated.

The HPA is leading the response in Maldives. It has, in close collaboration with the National Disaster Management Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, led the national contingency planning process involving all relevant government sectors, private sector, and nongovernment organizations such as the Maldivian Red Crescent. The proposed support will mainly address the urgently needed requirements for critical patients and containment of further spread.

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