Global trade in medical goods saw 16.3% growth in 2020, compared to 4.7% in 2019 when the Covid-19 pandemic just started unfolding, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Exports of medical products – including medicines, medical equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE) – rose more than 16%, underscoring how trade has been a lifeline for access to critical goods through the pandemic, after the initial disruptions. The share of medical goods in the world merchandise trade grew from 5.3% in 2019 to 6.6% in 2020. Trade in medical goods increased significantly in 2020, with trade in PPEs growing the most – more than 47.2%. Read: WTO to start Covid-19 vaccine supply negotiations amid clash on patents Medicine represented 52% of world trade in medical goods in 2020, according to World Trade Statistical Review 2021 issued by the WTO.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Nigeria Md Shameem Ahsan has handed over Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the Nigerian government as a friendly gesture marking the Mujib Borsho.

Healthcare wastes, including PPE-related ones, are posing a serious threat to the public health and environment during this pandemic as such wastes generated outside hospitals and clinics remain out of management across the country.

UNICEF has been procuring lifesaving supplies – including personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical equipment – for a value of US$12.28 million over the last 6 months as part of its assistance to the government of Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response.

The United States has provided essential personal protective equipment for distribution among members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces Division (AFD) as part of continued US support for Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response efforts.     US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller and Embassy representatives of the US Military’s Indo-Pacific Command have handed over the PPE to Principal Staff Officer (PSO), AFD Lieutenant General Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman.   This is the sixth in a series of planned PPE distributions from the United States to Bangladesh, said the US Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.     Till date, the United States, through the Departments of State, Defence, and Agriculture, USAID, and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, has provided over $56.5 million in aid of combating COVID-19 in Bangladesh.   The US Embassy Dhaka-donated equipment delivered on Monday includes 1,200 KN95 surgical masks, 8,000 washable face masks, 3,000 200-milliliter bottles of hand sanitizer, 9,000 pairs of surgical gloves, 600 reusable HAZMAT suits, 100 disposable HAZMAT suits, and 500 face shields, all of which the United States purchased locally from Bangladeshi companies.     The Bangladesh Armed Forces Division service members are a critical part of the first line of defence against COVID-19.     AFD personnel are playing a key role in Bangladesh’s COVID-19 response, supporting the public and Ministry of Health (MoH) initiatives throughout the country, including the opening of military hospitals to the public in support of COVID-19 treatment, said the Embassy.     This PPE donation ensures identified first responders remain protected while they deliver safety and security for all people living in Bangladesh, it said.   Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the US government, through the Department of State and USAID alone, has committed more than $1.5 billion worldwide in emergency health, humanitarian, economic, and development assistance specifically aimed at helping governments, international organisations, and NGOs fight the pandemic.     The US Embassy Dhaka is providing assistance to organisations throughout Bangladesh, building on more than $1 billion in health assistance delivered to Bangladesh over the past 20 years.     This funding, it said, emphasises the long-term US commitment to helping ensure access for all people in Bangladesh to quality and lifesaving healthcare.

Global warming will increase the chances of summer conditions that may be "too hot for humans" to work in, exposing millions of people to potentially life threatening conditions.   A study published earlier this year warned that heat stress could affect as many as 1.2bn people by 2100, four times more than now, reports BBC.   Millions around the world could be exposed to dangerous levels of heat stress - a dangerous condition which can cause organs to shut down.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday interrogated two businessmen, including the owner of JMI Hospital Requisite Manufacturing Ltd, over alleged graft in supplying poor quality mask and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The Anti-Corruption Commission( ACC) has formed a probe committee to investigate  allegations of corruption in the purchase of N-95 masks and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).

Grameenphone has completed the distribution of 50,000 sets of medical-grade full set PPE to 12 hospitals selected by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

Japan on Tuesday handed over quality assured personal protective equipment (PPE) to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to aid Bangladesh in its fight against coronavirus.