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Bangladesh has witnessed a gradual improvement in reducing the number of stunted children under the age of five years from 31 per cent to 24 per cent in the last four years, according to a survey.
However, the situation for child nutrition has not improved, showed the survey titled ‘Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022’, which was revealed at an event organised by National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) and supported by the US donor agency USAID and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), at a Dhaka city hotel on Tuesday.
The rate of underweight children in the country is not decreasing. Currently, 22 per cent of children under the age of five years are underweight, which is the same rate as in 2017–18, the survey showed.
On the other hand, the rate of wasted children is increasing. In 2017–18, the rate of wasted children was 8 per cent, but now it has increased to 11 per cent, which is a sign of deteriorating nutritional status, according to the survey.
Compared to the data of the previous three surveys, the rate of stunted children in the country is continuously decreasing. In 2011 and 2014, there were 41 and 36 per cent of children with low height for age, respectively, the survey added.
In the NIPORT survey, the data was collected from 30,018 households from across the country between June 27 and December 12, 2022. USAID assisted in conducting the survey.
On the other hand, caesarean births have increased at an unusual rate in Bangladesh. Compared to 2017, the incidence of caesarean in 2022 increased from 34 per cent to 45 per cent. A total of 84 per cent of the caesareans are done in private hospitals, according to the survey.
In the meeting, the health officials expressed concern due to a significant increase in the rate of caesarean sections.
According to the survey, 99 per cent of households in cities and villages have electricity. As much as 98 per cent of households in the country have at least one mobile phone. Two of the three newly married women are seen having mobile phones.
Secretary of Health Education Department Md Azizur Rahman, Director General of Family Planning Department Shahan Ara Banu and Director General of NIPORT Shafiqul Islam, among others, were present at the event.