Child malnourishment in city slums fares worse, undermines SDG 11

State of child wellbeing remains much worse in city corporation slums than in non-slums and municipalities of other areas, an official survey has revealed.

According to the study, the poor state of child wellbeing in city slums undermines government’s efforts to achieve SDG 11, which entails making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Released on Tuesday, the survey, titled ‘Child Well-Being Survey in Urban Areas of Bangladesh’, showed that overall stunting in urban areas is 26 per cent. But it is 60 per cent higher in slum areas than in non-slums.

 Stunting and underweight are three times as high in the poorest households as in the richest. Sylhet division has the highest rates of malnutrition amongst children under five.

The survey, first of its kind, was launched at a dissemination seminar on ‘National Report of Child Wellbeing Survey in Urban Areas of Bangladesh 2016’ at Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) auditorium in the capital.

BBS prepared the report with support from UNICEF.

The survey revealed data on seven indicators after interviewing 19,632 women and 7,521 children of 18,887 households. The survey was conducted in Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and Barisal and Sylhet city corporations in March-May 2016 period.

Project director Asharaful Haque presented the key findings of the survey.

He said malnutrition in slums is twice as high as in non-slum areas. Only 38 per cent children, aged 6-23 months, consume minimum acceptable diet with 30 per cent in slums and 44 per cent in non-slum areas.

Low birth weight of infants in slums is highest at 16 per cent, while in non-slums it is 11 per cent. Full immunisation coverage is lowest in slums at 72 per cent with 92 per cent in non-slums, while adolescent birth is 30 per cent in slums and 10 per cent in non-slums.

Marriage of girls before the age of 18, who are now aged between 20-24 years, is 42 per cent in slums. Khulna division has the highest rate of child marriage. Skilled attendant delivery is the lowest at 56 per cent in slums and 73 per cent in non-slums.

Antenatal care received by slum dwelling mothers is the lowest.

Improved sanitation (non-shared) facilities is the lowest in Dhaka and highest in Barisal.     

Overall child labour among the children aged between 5-17 years in urban areas is 13 per cent but it is 93 per cent higher among slum children.

But mothers living in slums remain ahead in initial breastfeeding than those living in non-slum areas.

Overall enrolment of children aged 6-10 years in primary school is 86 per cent in non-slum areas, but it is 69 per cent in slums areas. Only 46 per cent of slum children, aged between 11-15 years, attend secondary school, while it is 63 per cent while in urban areas.