Bangladesh: End of Decade Report on Children

Bangladesh’s End of the Decade Report shows much progress, but also that challenges remain. The goals for reducing infant mortality, eradicating polio, improving attendance at primary education (especially among girls), and increasing the provision of safe drinking water are all on track to be achieved.

The country in the last decade has achieved substantial improvements in:

• immunization and vitamin supplementation coverage

• the control of diarrheal disease

• reduction in fertility

• lowering of child and under 5 mortality rates

• and increase in iodized salt consumption, and improvement in nutrition.

Enrolment in primary schools and specially the parity achieved in terms of girl’s enrolment is very note worthy and remains a regional success story in South Asia. The Government has undertaken a programme to provide free education for girls up to the 12th grade. This will have a major impact on age of marriage and better health of women and children.