Facebook to help with vaccine rollout in Bangladesh

Facebook has partnered with Bangladesh's ICT Division and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to run a campaign to raise awareness about Covid-19 and help Bangladeshis get vaccinated.

The campaign aims to increase people's uptake of preventive health practices and vaccination efforts in the country, according to a press release on Tuesday.  

Facebook will take several steps to holistically support vaccine rollout and the nationwide awareness campaign towards safe hygiene practices, particularly given the recent surge in Covid-19 cases, it added.

By encouraging people to visit a Covid-19 Information Center, which is also available in Bangla, the platform will make it easier for people to access credible information and best practices on preventive hygiene measures.

The platform also has modules on mental health and vaccine safety, and provides easy access to www.corona.gov.bd for the latest government directives. 

Through newsfeed notifications, Facebook will direct people to register for Covid-19 vaccination at www.surokkha.gov.bd and encourage them to continue wearing masks.

"As Bangladesh is seeing a significant spike in Covid-19 cases like many parts of the world, it's reassuring to see how health awareness and safe vaccination efforts have been ramped up to reach more people in the country," said Sabhanaz Rashid Diya, who leads Public Policy for Bangladesh at Facebook.

"By working closely with the national health agencies and public health experts, and using Facebook's scale and speed to reach people, we are committed to doing our part to help Bangladeshis access credible information, adopt safe health practices, get vaccinated, and come together as a community," he added.

In Bangladesh, Facebook has been working closely with the ICT Division and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of Bangladesh throughout the pandemic to increase awareness on Covid-19 preventive health practices, the press release noted. 

Anir Chowdhury, policy advisor of the a2i (Aspire to Innovate) Programme, ICT Division and Cabinet Division, and UNDP Bangladesh, said, "I would like to thank Facebook for taking this broad measure and we are delighted to be part of this campaign to promote vaccination, mask wearing, and social distancing to a much greater population."