Hepatitis C campaign in Rohingya refugee camps

The Rohingya people, a stateless Muslim ethnic minority from Myanmar’s Rakhine State, have faced decades of discrimination, violence and displacement. Following mass violence in 2017, nearly one million fled to Bangladesh, joining existing refugees to form the world’s largest refugee settlement in Cox’s Bazar. Life in these camps is marked by insecurity, stress and limited access to services.

Within these fragile conditions, a rising concern has taken root: Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). This bloodborne infection can cause severe liver damage, scarring or cancer if left untreated. Yet for years, effective treatment was absent from both Bangladesh’s health system and humanitarian health packages, leaving most patients without care.