Child Health Care in Bangladesh

The biggest victims of a poverty stricken country1. Educating the women folk on the basics of child
are its children. Bangladesh has had a dismal trackhealth care which includes things like importance of
record when it has come to kids health. Most of thebreast feeding. This is a very challenging affair
children in the country specially in the rural areasconsidering the high level of illiteracy in the country.
suffer from acute malnutrition. The problem gets2. Stressing on equal care for the girl child. The track
aggravated as Bangladesh is one of the most denselyrecord of Bangladesh on the girl child is not
populated countries in the world with nearly 1,000impressive like its South Asian neighbor India.
people per square kilometer. Although there has been3. Making people specially the parents aware of the
considerable progress in the last 15 years the healthbasic nutritional requirement of a child. Giving them
of children in Bangladesh is being described as one ofproper break up of the food items required to attain
the severe in South Asia.those minimum levels of nutrition.
According to the latest UNICEF report the mortality3. Awareness campaigns on the importance of
rate in children under-five stands at an alarming 94vaccination for the children of all ages in the country.
deaths per 1,000 live births. Malnutrition, pneumonia,4. Regular counseling to pregnant women regarding
diarrhea, malaria, measles, injuries are contributing tochildbirth and advise them on the required nutritional
the high rate of neonatal deaths in the country.level during their pregnancy.
Nearly one-half of all children below the age of five5. Encourage women to give birth with assistance
years are either underweight or stunted. The poorfrom trained health personnel and in a health facility.
child health care facilities in the country means thatIn absence of a proper medical facility experienced
most of these children are not vaccinated exposingmidwives, or trained birth attendants should be
them to the threats of life threatening diseases.present during the child birth.
There is lack of awareness among women folk in theThe recent years have shown some improvement as
country concerning basic issues relating to kids healthfar as child health care is concerned but Bangladesh
is another key reason resulting in the high mortalityhas a long way to go to achieve the minimum
rate in children. Some of the areas where morenutritional and other health level in children.
attention need to be focused are: