Bangladesh Urban Health Survey 2013: Preliminary Results, October 2014.
National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT); MEASURE Evaluation, icddr,b Funded by:
US Agency for International Development, , Bangladesh, Department for International Development (DFID).
Key Findings
Child Mortality
- During 2009-2013, one in eighteen children in slums dies before reaching the fifth birthday.
- In slums, U5MR declined by 30% during the last seven years whereas IMR declined by 22%. While child mortality (CM) and neonatal mortality (NN) declined substantially during this period, post-neonatal mortality (PNN) remained largely unchanged.
Child Health
- More than half of under-five children with symptoms of ARI in slums are taken to a health facility or a medically trained provider for treatment compared to two-thirds in non-slums. However, skilled care seeking for childhood ARI improved only in slums during 2006-2013.
- Higher proportion of under-five children with ARI receives antibiotics in slums than non-slums in 2013 (47% vs. 40%).
Child Feeding and Nutrition
- Exclusive breastfeeding of children under six months approached 60 percent both in slums and non-slums, and slightly higher in other urban (66%). In both slums and non-slums, there has been a substantial increase in exclusive breastfeeding from the 2006 level.
- Only one in four children of age 6-23 months in slums are fed with proper IYCF practices, which is 40 percent for non-slums.
- Half of under-five children in slums were stunted (height-for-age below -2SD), which is around one-third for non-slums and other urban areas. Underweight among under-five children in slums (43%) is considerably higher in non-slums (26%) and other urban areas (30%).
- In the last seven years, there has only been a slight improvement in nutritional status in both slums and non-slums.
- In all urban domains, overall wasting rate surpassed the WHO specified emergency level (15%). In both slum and non-slum areas, wasting has increased in the last seven years
