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Rates of malnutrition in Bangladesh are among the highest in the world. More than one-third of the 3.33 million infants born annually in Bangladesh weigh less than 2.5 kg (5.5 pounds) at birth and are classified as having low birth weight. Two-thirds of children under five years of age are malnourished: the national child nutrition survey conducted in 1995-96 demonstrated that 60 percent of children 6-71 months of age are either stunted or wasted, meaning that their height for-weight scores or their weight-for-height scores are more than two standard deviations below the international standard (BBS, 1997a; World Bank, 1998). The average height and weight of Bangladesh mothers is only 40 kg (88 pounds) and 147 cm (4 feet 10 inches), respectively, and 70 percent of mothers and children suffer from nutritional anemia.

Until recently, 30,000 Bangladeshi children were going completely blind (in both eyes) each year from vitamin A deficiency. Iodine deficiency disorders (causing goiter and mental retardation in the more severe cases) have until recently affected 10 percent of the population, particularly in the hyper-endemic northern region of the country. Recent surveys indicate that 47 percent of the population have goiters, 69 percent have biochemical iodine deficiency, and 0.5 percent have severe mental retardation attributable to iodine deficiency (cretinism) (Yusuf et al., 1993). The average daily caloric intake nationally is only 88 percent of the recommended level of 2,120 calories, and in 27 percent of rural households, the average daily consumption is still less than 1,800 calories (BBS, 1998c).

Development in Health & Family Planning sector:

Twenty years ago, many experts claimed that family planning and child survival interventions would face insurmountable obstacles in Bangladesh because of the nation's conservative culture and low standard of living. Despite serious challenges along the way, Bangladesh has achieved impressive reductions in fertility and in infant and child mortality over the past three decades. Nonetheless, the population continues to grow, and poverty and illness deny many families the opportunity for long, healthy, productive lives. Continued emphasis on family planning is required to reach replacement fertility, and basic health services must be improved.

Although Bangladesh is currently a low HIV/AIDS prevalence country (<1%), it is at great risk of a rapidly expanding epidemic due to the widespread practice of risky behaviors. Bangladesh has widely available commercial sex, high rates of sexually transmitted diseases, low levels of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and very low levels of condom use.

Development in Health Sector:

With support from various donors over the past twenty-five years, Bangladesh has made impressive gains in indicators of population and child health. Among these are:

A decline in the total fertility rate from 7 births per woman in the mid-1970s to 3.3 in 1999-2000.


An increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate from 8% in the mid-1970s to 54% in 1999-2000.


A decline in infant mortality rates from 150/1,000 live births in the mid-1970s to 66/1,000 in 1999-2000.


A reduction in mortality for children under five years of age from about 250/1,000 in the mid-1970s to 94/1,000 in 1999-2000.