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Primary Health Care - Slum, Factory, MSF Response - Kamrangichar, Dhaka (2014)

Kamrangichar is one of the biggest slums in Dhaka, located in a peninsula area of around 4km2 and home to over 440,000 people. The slum is situated next to the Buriganga River, which is black in colour and gives off a strong odor, as it receives thousands of cubic meters of untreated toxic waste from the tanneries, factories and homes in the area.
Kamrangirchar hosts hundreds of small-scale factories working on plastic recycling and reprocessing, metal smelting, welding and moulding, battery manufacturing, textiles and other activities. From the 1960s until 2017, the adjoining Hazaribagh neighbourhood was home to 95% of Bangladesh’s leather industry tanneries.

Workers are highly exposed to physical and chemical hazards, working without protective clothing, often barefoot, in poorly ventilated conditions. This subjects them to occupational hazards such as injuries, skin disorders, respiratory problems, etc. The factories are located in the midst of residential areas, often in the same buildings as homes. High rates of poverty, combined with poor living and environmental conditions, also contribute to high levels of intimate partner violence.

MSF has operated primary health clinics in Kamrangirchar since 2014, providing occupational health consultations, vaccinations, adolescent reproductive health services and response for survivors of sexual and gender based violence. Outreach teams also engage in health promotion activities in the community, schools and factories.

MSFSTO23096

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