Under-5 child mortality rate, stunting drop: Health survey

The under-5 child mortality rate in the country has dropped to 31 per 1,000 live births in 2022 from 43 in 2017, and stunting – short in height against age due to malnutrition – among the age group also declined to 24% from 31% over the five years, says a health survey report.

But the proportion of underweight children remained unchanged at 22% but wasting – thin in shape against height – increased slightly from 8% to 11%, according to the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022 revealed yesterday by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (Niport).

The report also says C-sections deliveries increased by 11 percentage points to 45% in 2022 from 34% in 2017. It was only 24% in 2014. The total fertility rate has remained unchanged at 2.3 children per woman since 2011 and exclusive breastfeeding declined by 10 percentage points to 55%. 

"We progressed in several indicators of maternal and child health, but the matter of concern is that our fertility rate remained unchanged. Division-wise family planning activities should be emphasised for further improvement," said Directorate General of Family Planning Shahan Ara Banu. 

"C-section deliveries have been on an alarming rise. Initiatives are imperative to contain that," the family planning director general added and noted that the latest survey will help them design the 5th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme.

Only 29% of children in the country get minimum acceptable diets, according to the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2022 revealed yesterday, which was 35% in 2017-2018.

The National Institute of Population Research and Training (Niport) came out with the alarming findings at a time when the government with its "4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme" has been campaigning for taking the proportion to 45%.

The survey report also said the number of children, aged between 6 and 23 months, who are fed the minimum number of times every day fell drastically to 61% from 81% over the past five years, while their diversity in food remained almost unchanged. 

The preliminary results of the survey, which was conducted on 30,018 households from June to December last year, were presented at the Hotel Radisson in the capital. Secretary of Medical Education Division Azizur Rahman and Directorate General of Family Planning Shahan Ara Banu were present, among others.  

Fertility rate unchanged for a decade

The total fertility rate – the average number of children a woman would have by the end of her childbearing age – remains 2.3 children per woman for a decade. The goal of the 4th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme, however, was to bring down the rate to 2.3 children per woman by 2023.

The rate declined from 2.6 children per woman to 2.3 children per woman in the Sylhet division, from 2.1 children per woman to 2.0 children per woman in the Rajshahi division, but increased to 2.7 children per woman in the Mymensingh division. The rate is 2.5 or above in Barisal, Chattogram, and Rangpur.

The report also showed 70% of mothers giving birth in 2022 in the country are attended by trained medical professionals, which is significant progress compared to the previous years. It also said 65% deliveries were done at the health complex in 2022 while it was 51% in 2017.

The contraceptive use rate has increased slightly, the report said, adding that application of modern methods for birth control has reached 55% in 2022 from 52% in 2017.

Early marriage has declined, still, half of the women are getting married before the legal age of 18 and one-fourth before the age of 16, the report reads.