What we do
Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh has hosted Rohingya refugees fleeing targeted violence in neighbouring Myanmar’s Rakhine state since 1978. The latest violence, which began in August 2017, has provoked an unprecedented exodus, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to live in camps with deteriorating conditions. Around 860,000 Rohingya refugees live over a surface of 26 square kilometres.
At present, we are providing medical care in two districts: Dhaka and Cox’s Bazar, while working to maintain our regular medical response. The current intervention in Cox’s Bazar started in 2009, when Kutupalong field hospital was established to serve both refugees and the local community.
In August 2017, we scaled up activities and now run nine health facilities across Cox’s Bazar district, including three hospitals, three primary health centres and two specialised clinics.
- Bangladesh
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya are living in Bangladesh after fleeing targeted violence in Myanmar.
Why are we here?
Rohingya refugee crisis
In Cox’s Bazar, MSF provides healthcare through three hospitals, two primary healthcare centres, and specialised outpatient services, with additional facilities on standby for outbreak response. Services include emergency and inpatient care, paediatric and neonatal services, maternity and sexual and reproductive healthcare, mental health support, care for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence, and treatment of non‑communicable diseases. MSF also carries out water, sanitation, and hygiene activities in the camps to reduce public health risks.
Occupational health
From 2010 until March 2025, MSF operated a medical and occupational health programme in Kamrangirchar, one of Dhaka’s most underserved urban areas. Following the closure of MSF’s activities, significant health and protection needs remain, underscoring the need for sustained and coordinated efforts to ensure continued access to care for vulnerable populations in the city.
Sexual and gender-based violence
MSF provides comprehensive medical and psychological care for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence at its facilities in Cox’s Bazar. Services include clinical management, mental health support, and sexual and reproductive healthcare, helping to improve access to care for women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
Reproductive health
MSF provides a range of sexual and reproductive health services in Cox’s Bazar, including antenatal and postnatal care, assistance for deliveries, and family planning. In 2025, MSF teams conducted more than 47,000 antenatal consultations and provided 35,500 family planning consultations. Over the year, MSF supported a total of more than 4,500 deliveries across its facilities, serving both Rohingya refugees and people from surrounding host communities.
Vaccinations
MSF supports government efforts to strengthen routine immunisation in Cox’s Bazar, working in line with national protocols. Across its facilities, MSF teams provide vaccinations for measles and rubella, oral polio, and tetanus, contributing to improved coverage and outbreak prevention among Rohingya refugees and host communities.
Mental health
Our teams in Bangladesh provide mental health support for thousands of people every year. We offer mental health and psychosocial support through group sessions or individual consultations.
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs)
Non‑communicable diseases (NCDs), which require long‑term care, remain inadequately covered in low‑income and displacement settings. In Cox’s Bazar, MSF provides NCD care to both Rohingya refugees and host communities. In 2025, MSF managed a dedicated cohort of approximately 5,000 NCD patients and delivered more than 63,000 NCD‑related consultations, reflecting the sustained demand for chronic disease management in the camps and surrounding areas.
In 2025
In 2025, MSF continued to provide general and specialised healthcare services to Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities in Bangladesh. Activities included emergency care, sexual and reproductive health services, mental health and psychiatric support, treatment of non‑communicable diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and comprehensive care for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence.
Our Activities in Bangladesh
More than eight years after the mass arrival of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, prospects for safe, voluntary return remain remote. Over one million people continue to live in severely overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, with limited access to livelihoods, education, and basic services, and a near‑total dependence on humanitarian assistance. Prolonged displacement, deteriorating living conditions, and uncertainty about the future continue to have serious consequences for both physical and mental health. In 2025, MSF teams recorded sustained high levels of mental health needs, providing over 75,000 mental health consultations.
MSF has continued to treat patients with injuries related to violence in the camps, reflecting persistent protection concerns. In 2025, consultations for violence‑related injuries increased compared to the previous year, alongside a rise in cases of sexual and gender‑based violence, highlighting ongoing insecurity and chronic stress within the camps.
Scabies remained a major public health concern in 2025. Following the mass drug administration (MDA) conducted in late 2023 and early 2024, prevalence initially declined but began to rise again during 2025, with MSF treating more than 86,000 patients over the year. Overcrowding, inadequate water access, and poor living conditions continue to drive transmission, underlining the need for sustained, multi‑year MDA and improved WASH services.
In 2025, MSF consolidated its operations in Cox’s Bazar, focusing resources on a network of hospitals and primary healthcare centres in and around the camps. MSF continued to adapt its activities to maintain access to essential services amid growing needs and capacity constraints across the humanitarian response.
In Dhaka, MSF concluded its long‑standing project in Kamrangirchar in March 2025, following more than a decade of providing specialised healthcare to one of the city’s most underserved urban communities. Between 2015 and the project’s closure, MSF provided over 263,000 sexual and reproductive health consultations, including antenatal and postnatal care, family planning, and emergency obstetric services, as well as care for survivors of sexual and gender‑based violence. The closure underscores the ongoing need for sustained and coordinated efforts to address the health and protection needs of vulnerable urban populations.
Seasonal flooding continued to affect health needs in coastal and low‑lying areas. While no large‑scale flood response was implemented in 2025, MSF facilities treated patients for acute watery diarrhoea linked to flooding and poor WASH conditions, including cases managed at MSF‑supported facilities and through emergency preparedness measures during the monsoon season.
