The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has launched a three-month programme in 31 government-run health complexes in Chittagong Hill Tracts for prevention and control the spread of Covid-19 infections. The drive has been taken up in collaboration with the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS).Communities across the three districts who visit these health facilities – including three District Sadar Hospitals and 22 Upazilla Health Complexes – in Rangamati, Khagrachari and  Bandarban districts of will benefit from this Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) program amid the latest wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a ICRC press release. Also read: ICRC extends support for dignified management of dead during COVID-19The multi-layered strategy of the IPC program includes: imparting remote training to BDRCS volunteers, who in turn train existing cleaning staff of all government-run health structures while ensuring the availability of Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) and appropriate cleaning/disinfectant materials and tools.Around 160 cleaners from these 31 health facilities will receive training on the full IPC program (personal safety, cleaning, and disinfection procedure). Materials like chlorine, gloves, face shields, protective outwear, gumboots, and masks are distributed among the health facilities as part of the donation under this program.To avoid community transmission during the pandemic, 1200 households across the CHT region, which are being supported under other joint programs run by the ICRC and BDRCS, will also be provided with basic hygiene promotion items. Also read: ICRC, Cox's Sadar Hospital working to strengthen emergency healthcare services The latest phase of IPC program across the CHT region will continue until mid-September 2021.“This phase incorporates the lessons learnt from the previous intervention, and integrates best practice while undertaking doable actions with impacts," said Massimo Russo, Water and Habitat Delegate of ICRC Bangladesh.Earlier, between September to December 2020, the ICRC and the BDRCS implemented a first phase of the IPC program in all government health facilities of CHT districts, serving around 1.6 million people.