| सारांश: | The state of nutrition in Bangladesh is precariously poor. The diet, being heavily deficient
in calories and seriously imbalanced, leads to the obvious consequences of widespread
protein-energy and micronutrient malnutrition among infants, children and women. This
is a great loss of human resources potential for productivity and much of ·the low per
capita gross domestic product (GOP) and low human development index (HOI) of the
country (0.336) is attributable to this scourge of malnutrition.
The overall health situation of the Bangladeshi population is also far below any
acceptabie standard. This is particularly true for women and children with worst possible
health statistics in terms of both morbidity and mortality. For example, the maternal
mortality rate has been over 600 per 100,000 live births for many years. This has now
improved slightly to about 470 per 100,000 live births. The latter figure is still one of the
highest in the world. Similarly, 1 in 10 infant in Bangladesh does not live up to his/her
first birthday; the infant mortality rate is around 80 per 1000 live births.
The above circumstances had led the Institute for Integrated Rural Development (IIRD)
to find out innovative and appropriate programs to overcome the deplorable health,
nutrition and basic education scenario of the people of some selected areas in
Bangladesh. The proposed project titled "Shadaron Shikha 0 Prathomic Shastho Sheba
Prokolpo (SSP SSP)" has been formulated on the basis of that realisation. The Kachua
Thana under Chandpur District is one such area where such a project has been taken
up.
On request from IIRD, the Research and Evaluation Division (RED) of BRAC undertook
a baseline survey among the target households of the project area under Kachua thana
of Chand pur District.
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