Over the last six years, Bangladesh has made significant strides in the areas of health, nutrition, water, education, child protection, sanitation, and hygiene, according to a survey.
However, the most positive development was the sharp decline of chronic malnutrition, which fell from 42% in 2012-13 to 28% in 2019, calculated by moderate and severe stunting of growth.
All child mortality rates (neonatal, post-neonatal, infant, and under-five) also show a downward trend in Bangladesh over the last 30 years, the survey reveals.
The findings of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Unicef, were announced at an event in Dhaka on Monday.
The survey collected data between January 19 and June 1, 2019 from 61,242 randomly selected households across all 64 districts of the country.
The percentage of moderate and severe underweight prevalence has dropped from 31.9% in 2012-13 to 22.6% in 2019, the report finds.
Increase in the availability of drinking water, better access to toilets, increase in net attendance of children in schools, and an increase in birth registration that ensures children’s right to identity are among the other positive outcomes found during the survey.
At the same time, more rapid “progress with quality” is required for Bangladesh to continue as a thriving middle-income country.
However, issues such as quality of education and drinking water, the battle against child marriage and violence against children continue to be highly prevalent.
The report identified that nine out of ten children under 15 are subjected to some form of corporal punishment by parents or other caregivers in Bangladesh.
However, the report pointed out that Bangladesh would have to take actions as quickly as possible if it wants to achieve UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
Major improvements
While the share of children who were ever breastfed is very high in Bangladesh with 98.5%, the share of children who were breastfed within one hour of birth is still somewhat low at 46.6%.
It said the share of children of 36 to 59 months who attended early childhood education is 18.9%, with a slight increase from the 13.4% registered in 2012-13.
Although net attendance rate in primary school went higher, to 85.9% from 73.2% during the corresponding period, but about 13.1% of adolescents were out of lower secondary school.
The dropout rate is particularly high among boys, where about one in five (18.1%) children was out of lower secondary education, it pointed out.
Almost all households (98.5%) have an improved source of drinking water. The difference is small between rural and urban households. However, 43% of the population lives in an area where there is an improved drinking water source located on the premises.
Areas requiring more attention
Violent disciplining of children remains alarmingly high as 88.8% of children aged 1-14 years have been subject to some form of corporal punishment by their caregivers.
Around 6.8% children aged 5-17 are involved in child labour with children not attending school largely contributing to it.
Child marriage remains widely accepted with 51.4% of women aged 20-24 years first married before turning 18, and 15.5% of women were first married off under 15.
Although about 84.6% households in Bangladesh have access to improved sanitation, the practice of washing hands at key moments remains very low.
Investment in children, youth needed
Speakers pointed out that the country will have to invest more on its children and youths to to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend and to achieve the SDG 2030 goals.
The report would be of greater use to identify people who are left behind and take necessary actions, they said.
“The findings of MICS 2019 will help us identify those who are left behind in the country’s development process so that we can take action and reach the children whose needs are the greatest,” said Alain Balandi Domsam, officer-in-charge representative, Unicef Bangladesh.
He also emphasized on breaking gender stereotypes and transform social norms that perpetuate gender inequality.
“Bangladesh cannot wait to invest in its children and youth if it is to reap the benefits of the demographic dividend. The country has only 11 years to go before this unique window of opportunity closes. It is essential to increase investment to strengthen systems and to build structures and capacities to accelerate the SDGs in Bangladesh,” said Domsam.
Sourendra Nath Chakraborty, secretary at Statistics and Informatics Division, said the new set of data available from this round of MICS continues to promote a data-driven public discourse and policy making for the betterment of the children in Bangladesh as a middle-income country.
