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Bangladesh

Executive Summary Integrated Smart Nutrition Baseline Survey - Dhaka Urban Slums, North and South City Corporation, Bangladesh, May-June 2022

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rate among children was found to be above the emergen- cy thresholds (“Very High”) of >15% in DSCC slums and remained in the second highest catego- ry (“High”) in DNCC slums.

  • Chronic malnutrition (stunting) among children was found to be above the Very High/ Critical WHO/UNICEF thresholds of >30% in DSCC slums and remained in the second highest category of >20% (“High”) in DNCC slums.

  • Boys and older children (24-59 months) were more undernourished in all forms of malnutrition (e.g. wasting, stunting and underweight) compared to girls and younger children (6-23 months).

  • Diarrhoea prevalence (DSCC- 20.1%, DNCC- 16.0%) among children 6-59 months was relative- ly high compared to the national average rate of 5.0% and was more prevalent among younger children.

  • Poor infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices varied with optimal and sub-optimal levels in both locations.

  • Vitamin A supplementation coverage found to be below the national average (79%), except for measles vaccination (>85.0%) and deworming coverage (>64%) were found to be above the national average.

  • Less intake of micronutrient powder (MNP) among children 6-59 months during previous days (<1.0%).

  • Crude and under-five mortality rates are well below emergency levels.

  • Accessing Antenatal Care (ANC) services among pregnant women were found to be relatively high (>=85%) but iron folic acid intake was reported low.

  • ANC and PNC checkups were optimal for at least one visit but were reported very low for at least four visits in both locations.

  • Low wasting prevalence was found among pregnant and lactating women.

  • One- fourth households reported with medium or severe food insecure who negatively adopted the situation through consumption-based coping strategies to deal with food shortages. This affects both the quantity and quality of food consumed.

  • Households (>95.0%) access to drinking water were optimal but there remains concern about the supply of water quality.

  • Poor hand washing practices with soap during critical times expect after defecation and disposing of child feaces.

  • Sanitation continues to be an issue in DNCC slums as contents of latrines are mixed with nearby drain or water bodies with high risk of contamination of water borne disease.

  • Unsafe disposal of child feaces also remains a concern in both locations which makes children susceptible to diseases transmitted via the fecal-oral route.