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The coronavirus outbreak has significantly affected the health and well-being of several people around the world. In a similar vein, Bangladeshi medical professionals have also been affected by several severe physical and mental health complications resulting from their frequent contact with COVID-19 patients. This exposes them to a greater risk of infection with the lethal virus, which can substantially impact their job performance. Therefore, this research aims to investigate the manner in which the COVID-19 pandemic affects the occupational health and safety of medical employees. The researchers deployed a descriptive qualitative technique to investigate the complexities of the COVID-19 crisis amongst medical practitioners. Employing purposeful sampling and in-depth interview techniques, the researchers collected data from a total of 32 healthcare professionals and investigated their state of occupational health, their exposure to stress and trauma, and the effects of stress and trauma on their livelihood, health and well-being. The data revealed the occupational health of healthcare workers as being fragile, resulting to stress and trauma, and eventually, a depressed state of mind. To address this issue, relevant government and non-governmental organizations should concentrate on reducing COVID-19-related risks and repercussions in hospital settings. In addition, policymakers, social workers, public health practitioners and psychologists must work together to ensure that healthcare workers are healthy and safe at work.

This article discusses needs and problems and resources in the Haor (wetland) region in Bangladesh and the potential for employing smart village ideas to address a few identified needs and problems. The study was conducted on 12 villages of the Tanguar Haor of Sunamganj District. A total of 20 key informant interviews (KIIs) and 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted following purposive sampling. The findings indicated that Haor people experience acute poverty, ill health, low level of education and endemic unemployment which are being worsened by frequent floods and climate-induced damages. The Haor area occupies some potential resources, including land, livestock, marshlands, electricity and mobile telephones, all of which could be mobilised to improve the quality of Haor people's lives. The paper suggests applying the smart village model that touches every facet of wetland life, including agriculture, education, employment and healthcare to improve the living standard of the people of the Haor region.

The persecution and brutality against the Rohingya people could as well be regarded as the biggest injustice in the history of human civilisation. This article explores the possible threats to peace and security in Asia and the South Asian regions resulting from the settlement of the Rohingya people in Bangladesh. It examines qualitative data obtained from the Rohingya refugees and various stakeholders, including security personnel, administrators, civil society members, representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international NGOs (INGOs) and residents in the host community. It has been discovered in this study that human rights violations against the Rohingya refugees are not just a threat to peace and security in Bangladesh but also a threat at the regional level. The study recommends that neighbouring countries and regional and international associations take more proactive roles in resolving the Rohingya crisis by negotiating and mounting international pressure on the Myanmar government. These findings add new knowledge and provide guidelines for policymakers to design a roadmap for resolving the Rohingya crisis.

AbstractThe COVID‐19 outbreak has become a global health crisis affecting both the physical and mental health of people across the world. Likewise, the people of Bangladesh are going through a menacing mental health catastrophe with the outbreak of coronavirus that resulting in stress and trauma. Hence, this situation is altering people's lifestyles and generating complexities in psychological well‐being. The study was based on the review of published articles and media reports related to stress and trauma during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Bangladesh. A total of 10 peer‐reviewed articles and 45 newspaper reports were included following an extensive literature search. The contents were searched on Google, Google Scholar, PubMed, local online newspapers, social networking sites, and different webpages and published articles in different journals on COVID‐19 from March 5 to October 25, 2020. The review study finds that the mental health of people in Bangladesh has severely been affected by the outbreak of coronavirus. All of the government, voluntary, and civil organizations need to give further emphasis on psychosocial and bereavement counseling in order to support those experiencing mental shocks resulting from the COVID‐19 crisis. There is the need to strengthen more consultative and collaborative efforts from all public health experts, social workers, psychologists, and policymakers in doing so. Social workers in this context will be able to make meaningful contributions in supporting those affected people to better adjust to the challenging situation.

In many regions of the world, human head lice infestations caused by Pediculus capitis are a major health concern among school-aged children. This study was carried out to explain variables influencing pediculosis prevention and control from the perspective of parents and teachers of female elementary school pupils, as well as healthcare practitioners in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Participants in this qualitative study included 23 participants, including parents and teachers of primary school girls, as well as healthcare practitioners. Purposive sampling was employed and sustained until data saturation was reached. Data was acquired through in-depth interviews and evaluated using content analysis in the form of constant comparison. To assess the quality of the outcomes, Lincoln and Guba's criteria were used. The data were extracted into 2 primary categories, including challenges and facilitators to controlling pediculosis, each with several subcategories as follows: 1) economic-political aspects; 2) family factors; 3) social-cultural elements; 4) personal and mental issues; 5) geographical position of the investigated region; 6) school and education factors; and 7) factors related to medications and therapy. There were 2 types of facilitators: 1) informative factors and 2) social-cultural variables. According to the findings, pediculosis prevention, control, and treatment necessitate multifaceted and multi-level intervention. Some solutions must be addressed at the personal-psychological, familial, political-economic, geographical, and informational levels, as well as school-related concerns, social stigma elimination, and evaluation of cultural components of the issue at the social level.

INTRODUCTION: Adherence to COVID-19 preventative guidelines may be influenced by a variety of factors at the individual, societal, and institutional levels. The current study sought to investigate the social factors of adherence to those preventive measures from the perspective of health professionals. METHODS: In October 2020, we performed qualitative research in Tehran, Iran, using the directed content analysis method. For the preparation of our interview guide and data analysis, we employed the WHO conceptual framework of socioeconomic determinants of health. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 health professionals and policymakers who were chosen using a purposive sampling approach. MAXQDA-18 software was used to analyze the data. The Goba and Lincoln criteria were used to assess the quality of the results. RESULTS: There are 23 subcategories and 9 categories, which include socio-economic and political context (unstable macroeconomic environment, poor management of the pandemic, media and knowledge transfer), cultural and social values (fatalism, cultural norms, value conflicts, social customs), socio-economic positions (livelihood conditions), social capital (social cohesion, low trust), living conditions (housing conditions), occupational conditions (precarious employment), individual characteristics (demographic characteristics, personality traits, COVID-19 knowledge, and attitude), psycho-social factors (normalization of the disease, social pressure, and stigma), and health system leadership (health system problems, not taking evidence-based decisions, non-comprehensive preventive guidelines, non-operational guidelines, inadequate executive committee) were obtained. CONCLUSION: To limit the new COVID-19 transmission, people must be encouraged to follow COVID-19 prevention instructions. Improving adherence to COVID-19 preventive guidelines necessitates dealing with the complexities of responding to social determinants of those guidelines. Increasing public health literacy and knowledge of ...