The rate of Caesarean delivery is increasing at an abnormal rate, particularly in the private hospitals. Compared to 2017, the incidence of Caesarean in 2022 increased from 34% to 45%.
The preliminary result of the report titled “Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey- 2022” was published during a seminar in the capital on Tuesday.
In 2022, 84% of the country's total caesarean births took place in private hospitals. Besides, 14% happened in government health institutions. The remaining 2% was in non-governmental development organizations (NGOs).
Bangla TribuneA total of 3.7 million children were born in Bangladesh in 2022. Of them, 1.6 million babies were born by Caesarean section.
In 2022, 1,262,324 children were born at home, 6,47,438 in government, 1,631,255 in private hospitals and 61,489 in NGOs.
And among them, 2,33,078 people had Caesarean (C-section) in government hospitals. In the private sector, 1,353,942 people had Caesarean. In addition, 22,136 people have had Caesarean in NGOs.
The meeting expressed concern in the rise of C-section at such rate and called to take measures to change this situation.
Under-5 mortality rate marks sharp fall in Bangladesh
Under-5 mortality rate in Bangladesh saw a sharp decline in the past five years, according to a new report by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT).
The number came down from 43 per 1000 in 2017 to 31 per 1000 in 2022, the report shows.
This preliminary result was also shown in the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey- 2022.
Health Education Division Secretary Azizur Rahman was present as the chief guest.
According to the survey results, Bangladesh has made significant progress in maternal health and child health compared to previous years.
The rate of stunted growth among children under the age of five decreased from 31% to 24%.
The remarkable success in bringing down the mortality rate among children under the age of five can be attributed to the multiple government initiatives to address the gaps in newborn care.
In November 2017, the government launched the National Newborn Campaign to promote affordable interventions at community and household level for essential care for all newborns.
In early September 2018, the government launched the National Newborn Health Program that brings focus on the critical interventions to be scaled up in all 64 districts of the country.
The BDHS survey also sheds light on the state of maternity healthcare in Bangladesh. According to the preliminary results, a minimum of 88% of women have at least once received pregnancy or Antenatal care (ANC) from a trained health professional, which accounted for 82% in 2017.
Access to healthcare for women from impoverished families has expanded more than ever before.
The level of childbirth in adolescence has decreased compared to previous years.
According to the survey, the number decreased from 28% in 2017 to 23% last year.
Among women aged 20 to 24, the level of early marriage before the age of 18 was 65% in 2011.
The number dropped to 59% in 2017 and dropped to 50% in 2022, the survey shows.
The BDHS 2022 also indicates improvement in the socio-economic condition of the people in Bangladesh.
According to its preliminary result, 99% of households now have access to electricity. Meanwhile, 98% of the households have at least one mobile phone while 60% of the houses have improved sanitation compared to 43% in 2017.
Director General of Family Planning Sahan Ara Banu, USAID/Bangladesh Director Carrie Rasmussen was present as the special guests at the seminar. Director General of National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) Md Shafiqul Islam presided over the seminar.
