Emerging Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Al Mamun, Mohammad; Rumana, Nahid; Pervin, Kumkum; Azad, Muhammad Chanchal; Shahana, Nahid; Choudhury, Sohel Reza; Zaman, M Mostafa; Turin, Tanvir Chowdhury

2016-01-01

As a result of an epidemiological transition from communicable to non-communicable diseases for last few decades, cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are being considered as an important cause of mortality and morbidity in many developing countries including Bangladesh. Performing an extensive literature search, we compiled, summarized, and categorized the existing information about CVD mortality and morbidity among different clusters of Bangladeshi population. The present review reports that the burden of CVD in terms of mortality and morbidity is on the rise in Bangladesh. Despite a few non-communicable disease prevention and control programs currently running in Bangladesh, there is an urgent need for well-coordinated national intervention strategies and public health actions to minimize the CVD burden in Bangladesh. As the main challenge for CVD control in a developing country is unavailability of adequate epidemiological data related to various CVD events, the present review attempted to accumulate such data in the current context of Bangladesh. This may be of interest to all stakeholder groups working for CVD prevention and control across the country and globe.

FUTURE OF BANGLADESH-INDIA RELATIONSHIP-A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

boundary disputes during this period with its neighbors India and Myanmar . “Bangladesh got 19,467 square kilometers out of 25,602 square kilometers...cooperation connectivity project like Bangladesh, India, Myanmar , Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has recently been established...This maritime connectivity will facilitate India and Bangladesh exploiting seaports of Myanmar and Thailand to the east and Sri Lanka to the west for

Building renewable electricity supply in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fulton, L.M.

1997-12-31

Bangladesh is experiencing a severe electric power capacity crisis that is only likely to worsen over the next 15 years. Further, over 80% of Bangladesh`s population still lives with no electricity, and the rate of grid expansion to connect rural villages is threatened by the looming capacity shortage. There are a number of underlying reasons for the crisis, but ultimately the country lacks the fossil fuel resources required to conduct a large scale grid-expansion program. Alternative approaches to electrifying the country must be found. This paper outlines the prospects for wind and solar power in Bangladesh, and estimates the potentialmore » for commercial applications now and in the future. This includes a technical assessment, a market assessment, an environmental assessment, and a policy assessment. The paper concludes that Bangladesh holds the potential to cost-effectively meet a significant fraction of its future electricity demand through the use of renewable generation technologies, possibly adding as much renewable capacity as the current overall electric power capacity of the country. Many parts of the country have favorable solar and wind conditions and there are many potentially cost-effective applications. But the country must develop a policy framework that allows and encourages private investors to develop renewable energy projects in order to realize the enormous potential of renewables.« less

Groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh-21 Years of research.

PubMed

Chakraborti, Dipankar; Rahman, Mohammad Mahmudur; Mukherjee, Amitava; Alauddin, Mohammad; Hassan, Manzurul; Dutta, Rathindra Nath; Pati, Shymapada; Mukherjee, Subhash Chandra; Roy, Shibtosh; Quamruzzman, Quazi; Rahman, Mahmuder; Morshed, Salim; Islam, Tanzima; Sorif, Shaharir; Selim, Md; Islam, Md Razaul; Hossain, Md Monower

2015-01-01

Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Bangladesh first identified their groundwater arsenic contamination in 1993. But before the international arsenic conference in Dhaka in February 1998, the problem was not widely accepted. Even in the international arsenic conference in West-Bengal, India in February, 1995, representatives of international agencies in Bangladesh and Bangladesh government attended the conference but they denied the groundwater arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. School of Environmental Studies (SOES), Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India first identified arsenic patient in Bangladesh in 1992 and informed WHO, UNICEF of Bangladesh and Govt. of Bangladesh from April 1994 to August 1995. British Geological Survey (BGS) dug hand tube-wells in Bangladesh in 1980s and early 1990s but they did not test the water for arsenic. Again BGS came back to Bangladesh in 1992 to assess the quality of the water of the tube-wells they installed but they still did not test for arsenic when groundwater arsenic contamination and its health effects in West Bengal in Bengal delta was already published in WHO Bulletin in 1988. From December 1996, SOES in collaboration with Dhaka Community Hospital (DCH), Bangladesh started analyzing hand tube-wells for arsenic from all 64 districts in four geomorphologic regions of Bangladesh. So far over 54,000 tube-well water samples had been analyzed by flow injection hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (FI-HG-AAS). From SOES water analysis data at present we could assess status of arsenic groundwater contamination in four geo-morphological regions of Bangladesh and location of possible arsenic safe groundwater. SOES and DCH also made some preliminary work with their medical team to identify patients suffering from arsenic related diseases. SOES further analyzed few thousands biological samples (hair, nail, urine and skin scales) and foodstuffs for arsenic to know arsenic body burden and people sub

Burden of serious fungal infections in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Gugnani, H C; Denning, D W; Rahim, R; Sadat, A; Belal, M; Mahbub, M S

2017-06-01

In Bangladesh there are several published papers on superficial mycoses. Deep mycoses are also recognized as an important emerging problem. Here, we estimate the annual incidence and prevalence of serious fungal infections in Bangladesh. Demographic data were obtained from world population reports and the data on TB and HIV extracted from the online publications on tuberculosis in Bangladesh and Asia Pacific research statistical data information resources AIDS Data HUB. All the published papers on fungal infections in Bangladesh were identified through extensive search of literature. We estimated the number of affected people from populations at risk and local epidemiological data. Bangladesh has a population of ∼162.6 million, 31% children and only 6% over the age of 60 years. The pulmonary TB caseload reported in 2014 was 119,520, and we estimate a prevalence of 30,178 people with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, 80% attributable to TB. An anticipated 90,262 and 119,146 patients have allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or severe asthma with fungal sensitization. Only 8,000 people are estimated to be HIV-infected, of whom 2900 are not on ART with a CD4 count <350 μL, Pneumocystis pneumonia and cryptococcal meningitis being rare. Superficial mycoses are very common with Trichophyton rubrum as the predominant etiological agent (80.6%). Numerous cases of mycotic keratitis have been reported from several parts of Bangladesh. Candida bloodstream infection was estimated based on a 5 per 100,000 rate (8100 cases) and invasive aspergillosis based primarily on leukemia and COPD rates, at 5166 cases. Histoplasmosis was documented in 16 cases mostly with disseminated disease and presumed in 21 with HIV infection. This study constitutes the first attempt to estimate the burden of several types of serious fungal infections in Bangladesh.

Female education and fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Martin, L G

1987-05-01

Slowing the growth of the 100 million plus population of Bangladesh remains a major challenge. Fertility and mortality declined only slightly during the 1970s and the population continues to grow at an annual rate of over 2.5%, implying a doubling time of about 25 years. This article briefly reviews the theoretical link between education and fertility, the educational situation in Bangladesh, and the projects's design and its effects as evaluated by a US Agency for International Development (AID) International Science and Technology Institute team. Nearly all women are married by age 25 in Bangladesh, but more educated women marry later than the less educatted ones. Age at marriage has the greatest effect of all the variables on children ever born; given the association between age at marriage and education, it can be argued that education does indeed affect fertility. In 1982, USAID began funding a pilot project by the Bangladesh Association for Community Education to provide secondary scholarships for girls in Chandpur District. Only 30% of the secondary school completers had married by the time of the survey, in comparison to 76% of the secondary dropouts, 77% of the primary school completers, and 66% of those with no school. Clearly, there is much to be done in reducing population pressure and raising the standard of living in Bangladesh, and raising the status of women through education could be a valuable component in such efforts.

Poverty-led higher population growth in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nakibullah, A; Rahman, A

1996-01-01

This article discusses the issue whether population growth is exogenous or endogenous in the economic development of Bangladesh. Overpopulation adversely affects food supplies, foreign exchange, and human resources. Moreover, it depresses savings per capita and retards growth of physical capital per labor. Underdeveloped countries, like Bangladesh, are faced with the problem of allocating resources between infrastructure, education, and health service that are essential for human capital development and population control measures. With this, determination whether fertility is exogenous or endogenous is important for policy purposes in the context of Bangladesh. Results showed that there is a correlation between population growth and real gross domestic products per capita. Based on Granger causality test, population growth is endogenous in the development process of Bangladesh and its overpopulation is due to poverty. Thus, there is a need for appropriate policy to take measures to improve human capital and decrease fertility rates.

Smokeless tobacco and public health in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Huque, Rumana; Zaman, M Mostafa; Huq, Syed Mahfuzul; Sinha, Dhirendra N

2017-09-01

Despite the high prevalence of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among adults in Bangladesh, SLT was not included in the Tobacco Control Law till 2013. Information on SLT use among Bangladeshi people is inadequate for policymaking and implementing effective control measures. With the aim to identify the prevalence and trends of different SLT products, health and economic impacts, manufacture, and sale of and policies related to SLT in Bangladesh, we carried out a literature review, which involved literature search, data extraction, and synthesis. Evidence suggests that in Bangladesh, SLTs range from unprocessed to processed or manufactured products including Sada Pata, Zarda, Gul, and Khoinee. Over 27% of Bangladeshi adults aged 15 years and older use SLT in one form or other. SLT use is associated with age, sex, education, and socioeconomic status. SLT consumption has reportedly been associated with increased prevalence of heart diseases, stroke, and oral cancer and led to around 320,000 disability adjusted life years lost in Bangladesh in 2010. No cessation service is available for SLT users in public facilities. Compared to cigarettes, taxation on SLT remains low in Bangladesh. The amendment made in Tobacco Control Law in 2013 requires graphic health warnings to cover 50% of SLT packaging, ban on advertisement of SLT products, and restriction to sale to minors. However, implementation of the law is weak. As the use of SLT is culturally accepted in Bangladesh, culturally appropriate public awareness program is required to curb SLT use along with increased tax and cessation services.

Working life tables, Bangladesh 1981.

PubMed

Matin, K A

1986-06-01

Data from the 1981 Bangladesh Population Census were used to construct life tables for working men and women. Bangladesh has a dependency burden of 109 dependents to 100 economically active population. Labor force participation rates in 1981 were 74.1/100 population aged 10 years and over for males and 4.3/100 population aged 10 years and over for females. The age-specific economic activity rates provided the essential link in translating life table data to working life table data. It was calculated that a newborn Bangladesh male had a working life expectancy of 37.8 years and an overall life expectancy of 50.0 years; working life expectancy peaks at 44.2 years at 10 years of age. A newborn female has a working life expectancy of 1.8 years and an overall life expectancy of 49.0 years; a maximum working life expectancy of 2.4 years is obtained at 10 years of age. In the period 1962-81, male working life expectancy registered a slight decline at all ages, while female working life expectancy increased by about 6 months for ages up to 30 years. Mortality accounts for a loss of about 10% of gross years of active life in the 10-69-year goups and 20% in the 10-79-year age group. The male working life expectancy values for Bangladesh in 1981 correspond well with those found in India in 1971, Pakistan in 1978, and Sri Lanka in 1971. However, there is wide divergency in terms of female working life expectancy values: such rates were significantly higher in Sri Lanka and India than in Bangladesh up to the age of 30 years, after which point there was little divergence.

The environment associated with significant tornadoes in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bikos, Dan; Finch, Jonathan; Case, Jonathan L.

2016-01-01

This paper investigates the environmental parameters favoring significant tornadoes in Bangladesh through a simulation of ten high-impact events. A climatological perspective is first presented on classifying significant tornadoes in Bangladesh, noting the challenges since reports of tornadoes are not documented in a formal manner. The statistical relationship between United States and Bangladesh tornado-related deaths suggests that significant tornadoes do occur in Bangladesh so this paper identifies the most significant tornadic events and analyzes the environmental conditions associated with these events. Given the scarcity of observational data to assess the near-storm environment in this region, high-resolution (3-km horizontal grid spacing) numerical weather prediction simulations are performed for events identified to be associated with a significant tornado. In comparison to similar events over the United States, significant tornado environments in Bangladesh are characterized by relatively high convective available potential energy, sufficient deep-layer vertical shear, and a propensity for deviant (i.e., well to the right of the mean flow) storm motion along a low-level convergence boundary.

To sell or not sell: Assessments of Bangladesh hydrocarbons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milici, Robert C.; Warwick, Peter D.; Attanasi, Emil D.; Wandrey, Craig J.

2002-01-01

A decision by the government of Bangladesh to sell or not sell some of its natural gas reserves to neighboring countries in South Asia will be important in determining the economic future of Bangladesh, a country with an area about equal to Wisconsin.Bangladesh is a country of 150 million people, many of whom live at or below the poverty line. It is situated almost entirely on the great low-lying delta of the Ganges and Brahmaputra River systems. Folded Tertiary strata that form hill tracts in easternmost Bangladesh, adjacent India, and Myanmar provide a little relief above a monotonous deltaic terrain (Fig. 1).

Transmission routes for nipah virus from Malaysia and Bangladesh.

PubMed

Clayton, Bronwyn A; Middleton, Deborah; Bergfeld, Jemma; Haining, Jessica; Arkinstall, Rachel; Wang, Linfa; Marsh, Glenn A

2012-12-01

Human infections with Nipah virus in Malaysia and Bangladesh are associated with markedly different patterns of transmission and pathogenicity. To compare the 2 strains, we conducted an in vivo study in which 2 groups of ferrets were oronasally exposed to either the Malaysia or Bangladesh strain of Nipah virus. Viral shedding and tissue tropism were compared between the 2 groups. Over the course of infection, significantly higher levels of viral RNA were recovered from oral secretions of ferrets infected with the Bangladesh strain. Higher levels of oral shedding of the Bangladesh strain of Nipah virus might be a key factor in onward transmission in outbreaks among humans.

An epidemiological overview of malaria in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Nazrul; Bonovas, Stefanos; Nikolopoulos, Georgios K

2013-01-01

Bangladesh is one of the four major malaria-endemic countries in South-East Asia having approximately 34% of its population at risk of malaria. This paper aims at providing an overview of the malaria situation in this country. Relevant information was retrieved from published articles and reports in PubMed and Google Scholar. Malaria in Bangladesh is concentrated in 13 districts with a prevalence ranging between 3.1% and 36%, and is mostly caused by Plasmodium falciparum. Geographical conditions pose a potential risk for Plasmodium knowlesi malaria. Resistance to a number of drugs previously recommended for treatment has been reported. Low socio-economic status, poor schooling and close proximity to water bodies and forest areas comprise important risk factors. Despite the significant steps in Long Lasting Insecticide Net (LLIN)/Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) coverage in Bangladesh, there are still many challenges including the extension of malaria support to the remote areas of Bangladesh, where malaria prevalence is higher, and further improvements in the field of referral system and treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attitude towards induced abortion in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmad, R

1979-01-01

In practice the Bangladesh law, allowing abortion only to save the life of the mother, is essentially obsolete. The government has recognized the role of abortion in curing rapid population growth, and it is believed that the attitude towards abortion in Bangladesh is at least not unfavorable. The attempt was made to determine whether this belief is corroborated by the available facts. Data from the Bangladesh Fertility Survey provides a unique framework for discussion of current attitude towards and prevalence of abortion in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS) was conducted on a nationally representative sample of 6513 ever-married women under age 50. An overwhelming majority of Bangladeshi women (over 88%) approved of abortion if the woman had conceived as a result of rape and premarital sex. Danger to mother's life (53% approving) was a more acceptable basis for abortion than danger of a malformed child (30%). Abortion on economic grounds was acceptable to only 17% of women. Urban women held more liberal views on abortion than rural residents. Educated couples were found to be more approving of abortion than the less educated. Women with parity 4 or more viewed abortion more favorably than those with lower parity. This was more pronounced among women under the age of 30. The most conservative approval of abortion was expressed by the older women who had a parity of less than 4. Women with the most liberal views on abortion were also contracepting and relying on efficient contraceptive methods. Wider support for abortion was expressed by currently married, fecund, nonpregnant women who were currently using contraception, and this support was more pronounced among women aged 30 and older.

Providing hope: midwifery teaching in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kent, Anna

2015-10-01

Bangladesh is recognised as a resource-poor country that has made some very positive steps to reducing maternal mortality over the last decade. However the death rate of women directly caused by pregnancy and childbirth still remains much higher than countries such as the UK, often due to lack of access to good quality and affordable basic health care. In this article, Anna Kent writes of her experiences teaching obstetric emergency clinical skills to Bangladesh's first ever student midwives. The students were recruited from rural villages to complete a three-year fully funded Midwifery Diploma Programme at one of seven education centres across the country. The goal of the programme is for the students to eventually return and practise as midwives in their home communities, enabling greater access for women to good quality basic health care, directly reducing maternal mortality across Bangladesh.

Motivating women. Bangladesh.

PubMed

1996-08-01

The Integrated Family Development Program (IFDP) in Bangladesh is expanding from the original project areas in Panchdona Union and Dhalian Union into four neighboring unions under the initiative of the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB). The JOICFP-executed project entered its second cycle this year as part of the UNFPA-supported regional Capacity Building for Sustainable Community-based Reproductive Health/Family Planning (FP) Project Emphasizing Quality of Care. The community-based project has won wide acceptance from people at the grass roots who have helped fuel its expansion into other villages. In particular, villagers have welcomed the comprehensive approach of the project which integrates a range of components such as reproductive health including FP/maternal and child health (MCH), income-generating activities, skills and literacy education for women and children and primary health care including parasite control. The success of the project also convinced the Japanese Embassy in Bangladesh to extend funding under the Japanese government's Grant Assistance for Grass Roots Cooperation Projects. With the funds, FPAB will establish a Women's Multipurpose Training Center in Panchdona Union. The sum of US$68,157 was officially handed over to FPAB on March 29 by Japanese Ambassador Yoshikazu Kaneko. The center, which is to open within this year, will contribute to improving reproductive health and promoting the empowerment of women. Once completed, it will be used for such activities as training in health care, literacy and skills for income generation for women's empowerment. full text

Spotlight: Bangladesh.

PubMed

Parikh, L

1998-01-01

This brief article highlights the progress made in Bangladesh in reducing fertility and improving women's status. The mid-1997 population was an estimated 122.2 million persons. The land area is 50,260 square miles. Population density was 2432 people per square mile. Births were 31 per 1000 persons. Deaths were 11 per 1000 persons. Infant deaths were 77 per 1000 live births. Natural increase was 2% per year. The total fertility rate was 3.3 births per woman. Life expectancy was 58 years for males and females. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and has about 50% of US population situated on land the size of Wisconsin. Average annual income is about $240. Livelihoods from agriculture are affected by monsoons and natural disasters. Bangladesh has reduced its fertility by half since the mid-1970s. Almost 50% of married women relied on contraception during 1996-97, compared to only 8% of married women in 1975. Increases in contraceptive prevalence are attributed to the family planning program and parents' desire for smaller families. The government has made slowing population growth a priority since the 1970s. The 35,000 field workers provide door-to-door contraception and counseling. Mass media has promoted messages about the economic and health advantages of limiting or spacing births. Women continue to play a subordinate role to men, despite their improved control over fertility. Under 30% of women are literate compared to 50% of men. Islamic practices still confine women to the home. Programs are directed to improving women's financial status through credit programs. Women now hold many jobs in the new garment industry, which is the largest nonagricultural employer.

Coastal surface water suitability analysis for irrigation in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahtab, Mohammad Hossain; Zahid, Anwar

2018-03-01

Water with adequate quality and quantity is very important for irrigation to ensure the crop yields. Salinity is common problem in the coastal waters in Bangladesh. The intensity of salinity in the coastal zone in Bangladesh is not same. It fluctuates over the year. Sodium is another hazard which may hamper permeability and ultimately affects the fertility. It can reduce the crop yields. Although surface water is available in the coastal zone of Bangladesh, but its quality for irrigation needs to be monitored over the year. This paper will investigate the overall quality of coastal surface waters. Thirty-three water samples from different rivers were collected both in wet period (October-December) and in dry period (February-April). Different physical and chemical parameters are considered for investigation of the adequacy of water with respect to international irrigation water quality standards and Bangladesh standards. A comparison between the dry and wet period coastal surface water quality in Bangladesh will also be drawn here. The analysis shows that coastal surface water in Bangladesh is overall suitable for irrigation during wet period, while it needs treatment (which will increase the irrigation cost) for using for irrigation during dry period. Adaptation to this situation can improve the scenario. An integrated plan should be taken to increase the water storing capacity in the coastal area to harvest water during wet period.

Bangladesh to prepare for rise in gas demand

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-06-01

Bangladesh is moving to expand its natural gas infrastructure in response to rising domestic demand. This paper reports that Bangladesh natural gas demand is expected to rise to 700-850 MMcfd in the next few years from the current level of about 500 MMcfd, the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Geographic information system (GIS) representation of coal-bearing areas in India and Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trippi, Michael H.; Tewalt, Susan J.

2011-01-01

Geographic information system (GIS) information may facilitate energy studies, which in turn provide input for energy policy decisions. Prior to this study, no GIS file representing the occurrence of coal-bearing units in India or Bangladesh was known to exist. This Open-File Report contains downloadable shapefiles representing the coalfields of India and Bangladesh and a limited number of chemical and petrographic analyses of India and Bangladesh coal samples. Also included are maps of India and Bangladesh showing the locations of the coalfields and coal samples in the shapefiles, figures summarizing the stratigraphic units in the coalfields of India and Bangladesh, and a brief report summarizing the stratigraphy and geographic locations of coal-bearing deposits in India and Bangladesh.

The Effectiveness of Farm Programmes on Bangladesh Betar in Educating Farmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasan, Md. Mahedi; Mondal, Md. Nazrul Islam; Islam, Md. Nurul; Hoque, Md. Aminul

2017-01-01

Farm programmes (FPs) of varied categories have been developed and aired over several decades by Bangladesh Betar, the national radio of Bangladesh for the diffusion of farm technologies. The study aimed to produce an in-depth academic evaluation of their effectiveness in educating farmers in Bangladesh. A sample of 465 respondents from the Khulna…

Water, climate change and society in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiele-Eich, Insa; Aßheuer, Tibor; Simmer, Clemens

2017-04-01

Due to its location in the extensive Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river delta, Bangladesh faces multiple natural hazards, in particular flooding, droughts and sea-level rise. In addition to climate change, transboundary water sharing issues resulting from dam structures such as Farakka Barrage complicate a prognosis on how the rapidly growing population will be affected in the 21st century. This is particularly important as our previous research suggests that the Greater Dhaka population already experiences a significant increase in mortality during droughts (Thiele-Eich et al., 2015). We attempt to explore the complex interactions between the hydrological system under climate change and anthropogenic impacts due to dams as well as a growing population. Our approach consists of a quantitative assessment of climate change using over fourty years of meteorological data (Bangladesh Meteorological Department) and hydrological data (Bangladesh Water Development Board), and CCSM4 climate model output (NCAR, 1950-2100). In addition to an extensive literature review, we also conducted qualitative interviews with slum dwellers in the megacity Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Results show that significant changes in flood characteristics are expected for the later part of the 21st century, although they are difficult to quantify down to exact numbers due to large uncertainties. These changes take place over longer stretches of time and thus enable the population of Bangladesh to adapt slowly. Resources such as social capital, which is one of the main tools for slum dwellers to be able to cope with flooding can be altered over time, and as such the system can be considered overall stable and resilient. The presented results will also focus on how the riparian and coastal population is impacted by the interplay of natural changes such as sea-level rise and anthropogenic changes such as Farakka Barrage and the associated reduction in dry season flow. Thiele-Eich, I.; Burkart, K

History, problems, and prospects of Islamic insurance (Takaful) in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, Issa; Rahman, Noor Naemah Binti Abdul; Yusoff, Mohd Yakub Zulkifli Bin Mohd; Nor, Mohd Roslan Bin Mohd

2016-01-01

This study explains the history, current problems, and future possibilities of Islamic insurance (takaful) in Bangladesh. To articulate these issues, the researcher has adopted the qualitative method, and data has been collected through secondary sources i.e. articles, books, and online resources. The study reveals that Islamic insurance in Bangladesh is regulated by the Insurance Act 2010 which is contradictory with Islamic insurance causing numerous problems for Islamic insurance. This study also points out that Islamic insurance is a fast growing industry with huge prospects in Bangladesh. The government should introduce separate regulations for both Islamic and conventional insurance. The research concludes with suggestions for the further development of Islamic insurance in Bangladesh.

Introduction to the Mymaridae (Hymenoptera) of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Huber, John T; Islam, Nurul

2017-01-01

An identification key to the 15 genera of Mymaridae found so far in Bangladesh is given, based on about 520 specimens collected using yellow pan traps placed in agricultural habitats and at the edge of ponds, mainly at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur. Species already reported from Bangladesh are listed and three more are added: Acmopolynema orientale (Narayanan, Subba Rao & Kaur), Himopolynema hishimonus Taguchi, and Mymar pulchellum Curtis.

Issues in developing a mitigation strategy for Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Asaduzzaman, M.

1996-12-31

Bangladesh, it is by now well-known, is at the receiving end, in the literal sense of the term, of the global climate change and its potential impacts. She contributes very little to the current global emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The Emission Inventory under the present umbrella project, Bangladesh Climate Change Study (BCCS), has found that her annual emission of carbon has been only 3.99 mn metric tons per year. An earlier study arrived at exactly the same figure. The figures for estimated release of methane is far less firm. The estimated methane emission in 1990 could be anywhere betweenmore » 1 million and 6 million metric tons. In any case the total emission is unlikely to be more than one-half of one percent of the global total. On the other hand, however, she faces specter of widespread and more frequent floods, more frequent droughts, cyclones and above all sea-level rise (SLR) which may inundate a substantial part of the country all of these bringing in immeasurable misery and destitution and loss of income, employment and growth. One would expect that in such a situation, Bangladesh`s basic concern should be to prepare an appropriate adaptation strategy. This is already a major policy concern of the Government. There is, however, an increasing realization that Bangladesh should as well emphasize an appropriate mitigation strategy (MS). There may be at least three reasons why this should be so. The first is that she is a signatory of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The second is that in the medium, if not short term she expects major growth due to a developing economy. Third is that Bangladesh depends primarily on fossil fuel imports for energy, and will become a larger source with further development.« less

Pangolin distribution and conservation status in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Trageser, Scott J.; Mro, Passing; Mro, Poroy

2017-01-01

Asian pangolins are a highly-threatened species group, mainly due to the perceived medicinal value of their scales. Increased demand from China has resulted in pangolins being the most trafficked mammal in the world. Three pangolin species are reported to occur in Bangladesh: Manis pentadactyla, M. crassicaudata, and M. javanica. No peer-reviewed studies exist detailing these species’ current distribution or status within Bangladesh. A literature review was conducted resulting in the clarification of conflicting reports and misidentified observations and specimen records. In this paper, we also report the current status of pangolins (Manis spp.) in Bangladesh based on semi-structured interviews, camera trapping, media queries, and field surveys employing traditional ecological knowledge and non-randomized transect surveys. Ethnozoological knowledge pertaining to the natural history of M. pentadactyla is also reported from experienced Mro tribal hunters. The critically endangered M. pentadactyla was verified to occur in northwest, northeast, and southeast Bangladesh in natural and degraded habitats. Interviews with the Mro tribe in the southeast indicate that pangolin populations there were likely extirpated in 2014 due to skilled commercial collection beginning in 2010. Evidence of extant M. crassicaudata and M. javanica populations remain unverified and questionable, and historical records of M. crassicaudata and M. javanica are likely a result of misidentification. PMID:28388644

Collaborative Research on Puerperal Infections in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kobayashi, Nobumichi; Ahmed, Salma; Sumi, Ayako; Urushibara, Noriko; Kawaguchiya, Mitsuyo; Aung, Meiji Soe

2017-01-01

Bangladesh is considered as a high-risk country for emerging infectious diseases because of its high population density, poverty, and unhygienic conditions. Although control efforts have primarily been focused on major infectious diseases such as diarrheal diseases, tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV infection, the prevalence and impact of many local or minor infectious diseases are still unclarified in this country. In this review, we present our recent experience and outcomes of collaborative research on puerperal infection (PI), which is a poorly defined infectious disease in Bangladesh. PI is the most common complication during the perinatal period in developing countries. We investigated the incidence of individual species of aerobic bacteria causing PIs and their drug resistance, and the genetic traits of isolates during the two-year period (2010-2012). The common species of isolates from patients with PIs were Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Proteus mirabilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Klebsiella pneumoniae. A remarkable finding was the high rates of resistance to cephalosporins among Gram-negative bacteria harboring extended-spectrum beta-lactamase genes, which were associated with carbapenem resistance in a few isolates. This study defined the importance of control of antimicrobial resistance in Bangladesh, and provided suggestions for the future direction of collaborative research on infectious diseases in Bangladesh.

Pangolin distribution and conservation status in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Trageser, Scott J; Ghose, Animesh; Faisal, Muzaffar; Mro, Passing; Mro, Poroy; Rahman, Shahriar Caesar

2017-01-01

Asian pangolins are a highly-threatened species group, mainly due to the perceived medicinal value of their scales. Increased demand from China has resulted in pangolins being the most trafficked mammal in the world. Three pangolin species are reported to occur in Bangladesh: Manis pentadactyla, M. crassicaudata, and M. javanica. No peer-reviewed studies exist detailing these species' current distribution or status within Bangladesh. A literature review was conducted resulting in the clarification of conflicting reports and misidentified observations and specimen records. In this paper, we also report the current status of pangolins (Manis spp.) in Bangladesh based on semi-structured interviews, camera trapping, media queries, and field surveys employing traditional ecological knowledge and non-randomized transect surveys. Ethnozoological knowledge pertaining to the natural history of M. pentadactyla is also reported from experienced Mro tribal hunters. The critically endangered M. pentadactyla was verified to occur in northwest, northeast, and southeast Bangladesh in natural and degraded habitats. Interviews with the Mro tribe in the southeast indicate that pangolin populations there were likely extirpated in 2014 due to skilled commercial collection beginning in 2010. Evidence of extant M. crassicaudata and M. javanica populations remain unverified and questionable, and historical records of M. crassicaudata and M. javanica are likely a result of misidentification.

Children's Access to Pre-School Education in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nath, Samir Ranjan; Sylva, Kathy

2007-01-01

Using the "Education Watch" household survey database, this paper explores children's access to pre-school education in Bangladesh. Participation in pre-school education has been increasing in Bangladesh at the rate of 0.6% per year and the net enrolment rate was found to be 13.4% in 2005. Enrolment of over-aged children in pre-school…

Zoonotic parapoxviruses detected in symptomatic cattle in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Lederman, Edith; Khan, Salah Uddin; Luby, Stephen; Zhao, Hui; Braden, Zachary; Gao, JinXin; Karem, Kevin; Damon, Inger; Reynolds, Mary; Li, Yu

2014-11-19

Application of molecular diagnostic methods to the determination of etiology in suspected poxvirus-associated infections of bovines is important both for the diagnosis of the individual case and to form a more complete understanding of patterns of strain occurrence and spread. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize bovine-associated zoonotic poxviruses in Bangladesh which are relevant to animal and human health. Investigators from the International Center Diarrhoeal Disease Research (icddr,b), the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Bangladesh Department of Livestock Services traveled to three districts in Bangladesh-Siranjganj, Rangpur and Bhola-to collect diagnostic specimens from dairy cattle and buffalo that had symptoms consistent with poxvirus-associated infections. Bovine papular stomatitis virus (BPSV) DNA was obtained from lesion material (teat) and an oral swab collected from an adult cow and calf (respectively) from a dairy production farm in Siranjganj. Pseudocowpox virus (PCPV) DNA signatures were obtained from a scab and oral swab collected from a second dairy cow and her calf from Rangpur. We report the first detection of zoonotic poxviruses from Bangladesh and show phylogenetic comparisons between the Bangladesh viruses and reference strains based on analyses of the B2L and J6R loci (vaccinia orthologs). Understanding the range and diversity of different species and strains of parapoxvirus will help to spotlight unusual patterns of occurrence that could signal events of significance to the agricultural and public health sectors.

Engineering Education in Bangladesh--An Indicator of Economic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Harun; Alam, Firoz

2012-01-01

Developing nations including Bangladesh are significantly lagging behind the millennium development target due to the lack of science, technology and engineering education. Bangladesh as a least developing country has only 44 engineers per million people. Its technological education and gross domestic product growth are not collinear. Although…

HIV and AIDS in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Azim, Tasnim; Khan, Sharful Islam; Haseen, Fariha; Huq, Nafisa Lira; Henning, Lars; Pervez, Md. Moshtaq; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Sarafian, Isabelle

2008-01-01

Bangladesh initiated an early response to the HIV epidemic starting in the mid-1980s. Since then, the res-ponse has been enhanced considerably, and many HIV-prevention interventions among the most at-risk populations and the general youth are being undertaken. Alongside prevention activities, gathering of data has been a key activity fostered by both the Government and individual development partners. This paper reviews available sources of data, including routine surveillance (HIV and behavioural among most at-risk populations), general population surveys, and various research studies with the aim to understand the dynamics of the HIV epidemic in Bangladesh. Available data show that the HIV epidemic is still at relatively low levels and is concentrated mainly among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Dhaka city. In addition, when the passively-reported cases were analyzed, another population group that appears to be especially vulnerable is migrant workers who leave their families and travel abroad for work. However, all sources of data confirm that risk behaviours that make individuals vulnerable to HIV are high—this is apparent within most at-risk populations and the general population (adult males and youth males and females). Based on the current activities and the sources of data, modelling exercises of the future of the HIV epidemic in Dhaka suggest that, if interventions are not enhanced further, Bangladesh is likely to start with an IDU-driven epidemic, similar to other neighbouring countries, which will then move to other population groups, including sex workers, males who have sex with males, clients of sex workers, and ultimately their families. This review reiterates the often repeated message that if Bangladesh wants to be an example of how to avert an HIV epidemic, it needs to act now using evidence-based programming. PMID:18831227

Bangladesh.

PubMed

1987-04-01

The population of Bangladesh was 104 million in 1986, with an annual growth rate of 2.6%. The country's infant mortality rate is 12.1%, and life expectancy stands at 54 years. The literacy rate is 29%. The work force of 34.1 million is distributed among agriculture (74%), industry (11%), and services (15%). The gross domestic product (GDP) is US$15.3 billion, with a real annual growth rate of 3.6% and a per capita GDP of $151. As one of the world's poorest and most densely populated countries, Bangladesh must struggle to produce domestically and import enough food to feed its rapidly increasing population. The country's transportation, communications, and power infrastructure is relatively poorly developed. Since 1971, an emphasis has been placed on developing new industrial capacity and rehabilitating the economy. The statist economic model, including nationalization of the key jute industry, had resulted in inefficiency and economic stagnation. At present, rapid population growth, inefficiency in the public sector, and restricted natural resources and capital continue to impede economic development. On the other hand, economic policies aimed at encouraging private enterprise and investment, denationalizing public industries, reinstating budgetary discipline, and mobilizing domestic resources are beginning to have an impact. Underemployment remains a serious problem, and there are growing concerns regarding the ability of the agricultural sector to absorb additional manpower. To reach the goal of 10% annual industrial growth for the 1986-89 period, the government is aggressively seeking foreign investment.

Community-based management of acute malnutrition in Bangladesh: feasibility and constraints.

PubMed

Choudhury, Nuzhat; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Hossain, Md Iqbal; Mandal, Barendra Nath; Mothabbir, Golam; Rahman, Mustafizur; Islam, M Munirul; Husain, Mohammad Mushtuq; Nargis, Makhduma; Rahman, Ekhlasur

2014-06-01

To achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, particularly reduction in child mortality (Millennium Development Goal 4), effective interventions to address severe and moderate acute malnutrition (SAM and MAM) among children under 5 years of age must be implemented and brought to scale alongside preventive measures. Bangladesh has an estimated 600,000 children with SAM, for a prevalence of 4%, while 1.8 million children suffer from MAM. To assess the feasibility and constraints of community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM), a relatively new approach, in managing SAM and MAM among children in Bangladesh. The methodology involved desk reviews of documents by searching through PubMed and other databases for published literature on CMAM in Bangladesh. We also did a hand search of policy and program documents, including the draft National Nutrition Policy 2013; the Health, Nutrition, Population Sector Development Program document of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Bangladesh; the Sixth Five Year Plan; and the Operational Plans of the National Nutrition Services of Bangladesh. . The conventional approach in Bangladesh has been to treat children suffering from SAM and associated complications in hospital settings. There is no program to take care of children with MAM. There is a dearth of local evidence to operationalize and implement CMAM in the context of Bangladesh. This paper summarizes the scientific literature and rationale for the implementation of CMAM in Bangladesh. It also provides recommendations to improve health strategies related to CMAM, discusses diets being developed that may result in better implementation of CMAM, and offers recommendations for areas of additional necessary research. A recommended approach for Bangladesh on the management of acute malnutrition would be to integrate CMAM into the rollout of the National Nutrition Services so that screening, identification, referral, and treatment of

Maternal education and child healthcare in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Huq, Mohammed Nazmul; Tasnim, Tarana

2008-01-01

Child health is one of the important indicators for describing mortality conditions, health progress and the overall social and economic well being of a country. During the last 15 years, although Bangladesh has achieved a significant reduction in the child mortality rate, the levels still remain very high. The utilization of qualified providers does not lead to the desired level; only a third relies on qualified providers. This study is mainly aimed at investigating the influence of maternal education on health status and the utilization of child healthcare services in Bangladesh. This study is based on the data of the Household Income Expenditure Survey (HIES) conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) during 2000. The analysis of the findings reveals that 19.4% of the children under five reported sickness during 30 days prior to the survey date. Moreover, approximately one out of every thirteen children suffers from diarrhoea in the country. It is striking to note that a significant portion of the parents relied on unqualified or traditional providers for the children's healthcare because of low cost, easy accessibility and familiarity of the services. The study suggests that maternal education is a powerful and significant determinant of child health status in Bangladesh. Maternal education also positively affects the number of children receiving vaccination. In order to improve the health condition of children in Bangladesh maternal education should be given top priority. The public policies should not just focus on education alone, but also consider other factors, such as access to health facilities and quality of services. Health awareness campaign should be strengthened as part of the public health promotion efforts. More emphasis should also be given to government-NGO (Non Government Organization) partnerships that make vaccination programs successful and, thereby, reduce the incidence of preventable diseases.

Bangladesh mission sees great benefits.

PubMed

1998-10-01

A JOICFP 2-member mission visited Bangladesh during August 9-22 to monitor the progress of cooperative projects in Narsingdhi and Feni districts, implemented by the Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB), and to discuss the implementation of Postal Savings for International Voluntary Aid (POSIVA) funds. POSIVA is in its 4th year of providing funds to Bangladesh. The Population Reference Bureau's (PRB) Japan Representative joined the mission on a study tour during August 9-17 to directly observe reproductive health and family planning, women's empowerment, and micro-credit at the grassroots level. The representative hopes to raise the Japanese public's awareness of international nongovernmental organization (NGO) partnerships in order to encourage them to help rural populations in developing countries. The offices of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the International Secretariat of Partners in Population and Development, UNFPA, Population Council, OECF, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and the Grammin Bank were visited, as well as the project areas of Panchdona and Dhalia Unions of the Integrated Family Development Project. ODA assistance should be strengthened to improve grassroots activities, with a focus upon women's empowerment, maternal and child health, and alleviating poverty through NGOs working together with communities. A project to build capacity in reproductive health in Jessore District is described.

Daughter neglect, women's work, and marriage: Pakistan and Bangladesh compared.

PubMed

Miller, B D

1984-01-01

This article looks at juvenile sex ratios, juvenile mortality, women's work roles and marriage patterns in Pakistan and bangladesh in order to assess whether patterns previously observed in India, namely, daughter neglect in the northwest and equal juvenile sex ratios in the eastern part of the country, are carried over into the 2 adjacent nations, Pakistan and Bangladesh, respectively. The Indian study indicates that nationwide sex ratio data, sample survey data on childhood mortality, longitudinal population records in several locations and ethonographic evidence all point to inequalities in mortality as the prime cause of unbalanced sex ratios. The juvenile sex ratios of Pakistan and Bangladesh are very different from 1 another. Whereas there are no regional contrasts among juvenile sex ratios within Bangladesh, it is greater within Pakistan. Sex ratio data correspond roughly to what the mortality data indicate in terms of the contrast between Pakistan and Bangladesh. The evidence on juvenile mortality in both countries is too scant to support an airtight argument that juvenile females in Pakistan have much higher mortality rates than boys, while mortality rates are more balanced in Bangladesh. But the existing evidence clearly points to that conclusion. The immediate causes of the greater sex-differential mortality in Pakistan cannot be documented in the available ethnographic literature. Biased allocation of food, medical care, and love might be operating. Looking at the economic and sociocultural complex that promotes much differences between Pakistan and Bangladesh, it is argued that, in both countries, class-based variations in both women's work and marriage patterns exist and are important. It is hypothesized that females in Pakistan are little valued for agricultural labor, and pose an economic liability on their families who need to provide a large dowry with her marriage to compensate for the daughter's low economic utility to the agrucultural workforce

Epidemiology of Drowning in Bangladesh: An Update.

PubMed

Rahman, Aminur; Alonge, Olakunle; Bhuiyan, Al-Amin; Agrawal, Priyanka; Salam, Shumona Sharmin; Talab, Abu; Rahman, Qazi Sadeq-Ur; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-05-05

Over one-quarter of deaths among 1-4 year-olds in Bangladesh were due to drowning in 2003, and the proportion increased to 42% in 2011. This study describes the current burden and risk factors for drowning across all demographics in rural Bangladesh. A household survey was carried out in 51 union parishads of rural Bangladesh between June and November 2013, covering 1.17 million individuals. Information on fatal and nonfatal drowning events was collected by face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Fatal and non-fatal drowning rates were 15.8/100,000/year and 318.4/100,000/6 months, respectively, for all age groups. The highest rates of fatal (121.5/100,000/year) and non-fatal (3057.7/100,000/6 months) drowning were observed among children 1 to 4 years of age. These children had higher rates of fatal (13 times) and non-fatal drowning (16 times) compared with infants. Males had slightly higher rates of both fatal and non-fatal drowning. Individuals with no education had 3 times higher rates of non-fatal drowning compared with those with high school or higher education. Non-fatal drowning rates increased significantly with decrease in socio-economic status (SES) quintiles, from the highest to the lowest. Drowning is a major public health issue in Bangladesh, and is now a major threat to child survival.

Elimination of Hepatitis Viruses: Bangladesh Scenario.

PubMed

Al Mahtab, Mamun

2017-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) has adopted targets unanimously at the World Health Assembly in July 2016, in Geneva, to significantly curtail hepatitis B and C viruses to near extinction by 2030. Preparations are now ongoing in all WHO member nations across the globe to reach this ambitious, but perhaps achievable target. In Bangladesh, hepatologists, nongovernmental organizations, civil society, and patients have joined hands with the government in this global fight against viral hepatitis. How to cite this article: Mahtab MA. Elimination of Hepatitis Viruses: Bangladesh Scenario. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(1):40-42.

Potentiality of wind power generation along the Bangladesh coast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shaikh, Md. Akramuzzaman; Chowdhury, K. M. Azam; Sen, Sukanta; Islam, Mohammad Masudul

2017-12-01

Nowadays Bangladesh is facing the problem with electricity as the production is less comparing to the demand. A significant amount of electricity is consumed in urban areas especially by industries whereas in rural or coastal areas most of the people are not having it. Around 40 millions of people living in the 724 km long coast in Bangladesh. Moreover, it is surprising that throughout the year there is sufficient wind blow in coastal areas by which we can produce a massive amount of electricity. However, day by day the utilization of wind energy is increasing in the world which reduces costs of renewable energy technology, improves efficiency. It would be a good alternative solution instead of dependency on natural gas. Wind energy is mainly potential in coastal and offshore areas with strong wind regimes. Wind energy is vital for ensuring a green energy for the future. The agricultural land of Bangladesh needs the supply of water at right time for better yielding. The installation of windmills will be very much convenient for operating the water supply pumps. This research highlights the possibility of wind energy and describes the necessary steps to implement and develop wind energy sector in Bangladesh by using other's successful ideas. Supportive policies, rules, and decree can be applied to make government, non-government organization, and donor organizations work together to develop wind energy sector in Bangladesh.

Prevalence and determinants of the gender differentials risk factors of child deaths in Bangladesh: evidence from the Bangladesh demographic and health survey, 2011.

PubMed

Hossain, Md Mosharaf; Mani, Kulanthayan K C; Islam, Md Rafiqul

2015-03-01

The number of child deaths is a potential indicator to assess the health condition of a country, and represents a major health challenge in Bangladesh. Although the country has performed exceptionally well in decreasing the mortality rate among children under five over the last few decades, mortality still remains relatively high. The main objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and determinants of the risk factors of child mortality in Bangladesh. The data were based on a cross-sectional study collected from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011. The women participants numbered 16,025 from seven divisions of Bangladesh - Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet. The 2 test and logistic regression model were applied to determine the prevalence and factors associated with child deaths in Bangladesh. In 2011, the prevalence of child deaths in Bangladesh for boys and girls was 13.0% and 11.6%, respectively. The results showed that birth interval and birth order were the most important factors associated with child death risks; mothers' education and socioeconomic status were also significant (males and females). The results also indicated that a higher birth order (7 & more) of child (OR=21.421 & 95%CI=16.879-27.186) with a short birth interval ≤ 2 years was more risky for child mortality, and lower birth order with longer birth interval >2 were significantly associated with child deaths. Other risk factors that affected child deaths in Bangladesh included young mothers of less than 25 years (mothers' median age (26-36 years): OR=0.670, 95%CI=0.551-0.815), women without education compared to those with secondary and higher education (OR =0 .711 & .628, 95%CI=0.606-0.833 & 0.437-0.903), mothers who perceived their child body size to be larger than average and small size (OR= 1.525 & 1.068, 95%CI=1.221-1.905 & 0.913-1.249), and mothers who delivered their child by non-caesarean (OR= 1.687, 95%CI=1

Information Technology for Economic and Social Benefit--Options for Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhuiyan, Farhad Ali

2002-01-01

Considers how information technology (IT) can help socioeconomic growth of developing countries based on experiences in Bangladesh. Topics include Bangladesh's development plans; future economic growth trends triggered by IT; emerging technologies; intellectual and societal development; industrial revolutions; telematics; regional and world…

Education Achievements and School Efficiency in Rural Bangladesh. World Bank Discussion Papers, 319.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khandker, Shahidur R.

Two of the largest World Bank investment projects in Bangladesh are the general education project and the female secondary scholarship and assistance project. This paper evaluates the expected results of these educational projects using the household and school survey data recently collected in rural Bangladesh. Bangladesh spends only 2 percent of…

Smallpox eradication in Bangladesh, 1972-1976.

PubMed

Foster, Stanley O; Hughes, Kenneth; Tarantola, Daniel; Glasser, John W

2011-12-30

Rahima Banu, the world's last endemic case of severe smallpox, Variola Major, developed rash on October 16, 1975 on Bhola Island, Bangladesh. Achieving eradication in a country destroyed by war challenged the achievement of smallpox eradication. Between January 1, 1972 and December 31, 1975, 225,000 smallpox cases and 45,000 smallpox deaths occurred. Adapting the global smallpox eradication strategies of surveillance, the detection of smallpox cases, and containment, the interruption of smallpox transmission, utilized progress toward three objectives to monitor performance: (1) surveillance - the percent of smallpox infected villages detected within 14 days of the first case of rash, (2) knowledge of the reward - public knowledge of the current amount of the reward for reporting smallpox, and (3) containment - the percent of infected villages interrupting smallpox transmission within 14 days of detection. Failures to achieve these objectives led to the identification and implementation of improved strategies that eventually achieved eradication. Essential to this success was a tripartite partnership of the citizens of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Ministry of Health, its field staff, and staff and resources mobilized by the World Health Organization. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Empowerment and family planning in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Schuler, S R

1994-08-01

A 1992 survey of 1500 women (1300 married and under age 50 years) was conducted in Bangladesh. Women who participated in 1 of 2 nongovernmental programs which provide small business loans for women (the Grameen Bank and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee) were compared with women who were not members but lived in villages served by the programs and with women who were eligible but lived in villages where the loans were not available. It was found that Grameen Bank membership had a significant positive effect on the use of contraceptives and on the rate in which the level of contraceptive use increased. The greater economic independence enjoyed by the Grameen Bank members is a factor in the increased contraceptive usage as is the promotion by the Bank of a small family norm. Empowerment indicators for women in Bangladesh include mobility, economic security, the ability to make purchases, freedom from domination and violence within the family, political and legal awareness, and participation in political activities. Women are able to achieve their fertility goals by participating in programs that decrease their social isolation and their economic dependence on men.

Human rights, health and the state in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Rahman, Redwanur M

2006-01-01

Background This paper broadly discusses the role of the State of Bangladesh in the context of the health system and human rights. The interrelation between human rights, health and development are well documented. The recognition of health as a fundamental right by WHO and subsequent approval of health as an instrument of welfare by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights (ICSECR) further enhances the idea. Moreover, human rights are also recognized as an expedient of human development. The state is entrusted to realize the rights enunciated in the ICSECR. Discussion In exploring the relationship of the human rights and health situation in Bangladesh, it is argued, in this paper, that the constitution and major policy documents of the Bangladesh government have recognized the health rights and development. Bangladesh has ratified most of the international treaties and covenants including ICCPR, ICESCR; and a signatory of international declarations including Alma-Ata, ICPD, Beijing declarations, and Millennium Development Goals. However the implementation of government policies and plans in the development of health institutions, human resources, accessibility and availability, resource distribution, rural-urban disparity, the male-female gap has put the health system in a dismal state. Neither the right to health nor the right to development has been established in the development of health system or in providing health care. Summary The development and service pattern of the health system have negative correlation with human rights and contributed to the underdevelopment of Bangladesh. The government should take comprehensive approach in prioritizing the health rights of the citizens and progressive realization of these rights. PMID:16611360

Towards the effective plastic waste management in Bangladesh: a review.

PubMed

Mourshed, Monjur; Masud, Mahadi Hasan; Rashid, Fazlur; Joardder, Mohammad Uzzal Hossain

2017-12-01

The plastic-derived product, nowadays, becomes an indispensable commodity for different purposes. A huge amount of used plastic causes environmental hazards that turn in danger for marine life, reduces the fertility of soil, and contamination of ground water. Management of this enormous plastic waste is challenging in particular for developing countries like Bangladesh. Lack of facilities, infrastructure development, and insufficient budget for waste management are some of the prime causes of improper plastic management in Bangladesh. In this study, the route of plastic waste production and current plastic waste management system in Bangladesh have been reviewed extensively. It emerges that no technical and improved methods are adapted in the plastic management system. A set of the sustainable plastic management system has been proposed along with the challenges that would emerge during the implementation these strategies. Successful execution of the proposed systems would enhance the quality of plastic waste management in Bangladesh and offers enormous energy from waste.

Family, society, economy and fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mannan, M A

1989-09-01

"This paper examines the socio-economic and cultural conditions under which the large family represents a rational economic goal for parents [in Bangladesh]." The author notes that rural children provide valuable labor services to parents during childhood, grown sons continue to support their parents financially and in other ways, and sons are the most reliable source of security in old age. Daughters, however, remain at home and cost a significant amount for dowries at marriage. It is concluded that prevailing socioeconomic conditions in Bangladesh still provide substantial support for high fertility and son preference. excerpt

Cost Assessment of Hepatitis B Virus-related Hepatitis in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mahtab, Mamun Al; Chaudhury, Muntasir; Uddin, Mohammad H; Noor-E Alam, Sheikh M; Rahim, Mohammad A; Alam, Mohammad A; Moben, Ahmed L; Khondaker, Faiz A; Choudhury, Mohammad Fi; Sarkar, Mohammad Ja; Poddar, Provat K; Foez, Syed A; Akbar, Sheikh Mf

2016-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is endemic in Bangladesh. Studies have indicated that HBV is the major cause of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis (LC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in this country. Recently, HBV-related acute on chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) has emerged as a serious and emergent medical problem in Bangladesh. To develop a strategy to address HBV-related problems and their influence on health care delivery system, proper understandings about extent of problems and nature of economic burden should be explored. Conservative estimates indicate that about 50 million or more of Bangladeshi have been infected by HBV at some point of their life. Out of the total Bangladeshi population, about 2 to 5% is chronically infected with HBV (about 3-8 million) (1-6%) and considerable number of these patients will eventually develop LC, HCC, or ACLF (about 1 million). Although proper statistics is lacking, it is estimated that HBV-related liver diseases account for a majority of hospital admissions and around 20,000 deaths every year in Bangladesh. In addition, complex clinical features of HBV-related liver diseases have been documented in Bangladesh that show similarity and differences from HBV infection in other Asian countries. Although vaccination against HBV and containment of horizontal transmission are in progress in Bangladesh for reduction of new HBV infection, there is a lack of national strategy for treatment of millions of chronic HBV-infected subjects. This paper will provide an insight regarding the economic impact of HBV in Bangladesh that may act as a primary impetus for developing national HBV eradication program, a goal set by World Health Organization (WHO). Al Mahtab M, Chaudhury M, Uddin MH, Noor-E-Alam SM, Rahim MA, Alam MA, Moben AL, Khondaker FA, Choudhury MFI, Sarkar MJA, Poddar PK, Foez SA, Akbar SMF. Cost Assessment of Hepatitis B Virus-related Hepatitis in Bangladesh. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2016;6(2):163-166.

Special Education in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zaman, Sultana S.; Munir, Shirin Z.

1992-01-01

This review of special education in Bangladesh describes the prevalence of major disabilities and government and nongovernment programs for children with various types of disabilities. The paper concludes that most special education is supported by nongovernment organizations and that implementation has been restricted by economic constraints.…

Prevalence and Determinants of the Gender Differentials Risk Factors of Child Deaths in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2011

PubMed Central

Hossain, Md. Mosharaf; Mani, Kulanthayan K. C.; Islam, Md. Rafiqul

2015-01-01

Background The number of child deaths is a potential indicator to assess the health condition of a country, and represents a major health challenge in Bangladesh. Although the country has performed exceptionally well in decreasing the mortality rate among children under five over the last few decades, mortality still remains relatively high. The main objective of this study is to identify the prevalence and determinants of the risk factors of child mortality in Bangladesh. Methods The data were based on a cross-sectional study collected from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), 2011. The women participants numbered 16,025 from seven divisions of Bangladesh – Rajshahi, Dhaka, Chittagong, Barisal, Khulna, Rangpur and Sylhet. The 𝟀2 test and logistic regression model were applied to determine the prevalence and factors associated with child deaths in Bangladesh. Results In 2011, the prevalence of child deaths in Bangladesh for boys and girls was 13.0% and 11.6%, respectively. The results showed that birth interval and birth order were the most important factors associated with child death risks; mothers’ education and socioeconomic status were also significant (males and females). The results also indicated that a higher birth order (7 & more) of child (OR=21.421 & 95%CI=16.879-27.186) with a short birth interval ≤ 2 years was more risky for child mortality, and lower birth order with longer birth interval >2 were significantly associated with child deaths. Other risk factors that affected child deaths in Bangladesh included young mothers of less than 25 years (mothers’ median age (26-36 years): OR=0.670, 95%CI=0.551-0.815), women without education compared to those with secondary and higher education (OR =0 .711 & .628, 95%CI=0.606-0.833 & 0.437-0.903), mothers who perceived their child body size to be larger than average and small size (OR= 1.525 & 1.068, 95%CI=1.221-1.905 & 0.913-1.249), and mothers who delivered their child by non

Evaluation of an arsenic test kit for rapid well screening in Bangladesh.

PubMed

George, Christine Marie; Zheng, Yan; Graziano, Joseph H; Rasul, Shahriar Bin; Hossain, Zakir; Mey, Jacob L; van Geen, Alexander

2012-10-16

Exposure to arsenic in groundwater via drinking remains unabated for millions of villagers in Bangladesh. Since a blanket testing campaign using test kits almost a decade ago, millions of new wells have been installed but not tested; thus affordable testing is needed. The performance of the Arsenic Econo-Quick (EQ) kit was evaluated by blindly testing 123 wells in Bangladesh and comparing with laboratory measurements; 65 wells were tested twice. A subset of the same 123 wells was also tested using the Hach EZ kit in the field and the Digital Arsenator in the laboratory in Bangladesh. The EQ kit correctly determined the status of 110 (89%) and 113 (92%) out of 123 wells relative to the WHO guideline (10 μg/L) and the Bangladesh standard (50 μg/L), respectively. Relative to the WHO guideline, all misclassifications were underestimates for wells containing between >10 and 27 μg/L As. Relative to the Bangladesh As standard, over- and underestimates were evenly distributed. Given its short reaction time of 10 min relative to the Hach EZ and its lower cost compared to the Arsenator, the EQ kit appears to have several advantages for well testing in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

Evaluation of an Arsenic Test Kit for Rapid Well Screening in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

George, Christine Marie; Zheng, Yan; Graziano, Joseph H; Rasul, Shahriar Bin; Hossain, Zakir; Mey, Jacob L; van Geen, Alexander

2013-01-01

Exposure to arsenic in groundwater via drinking remains unabated for millions of villagers in Bangladesh. Since a blanket testing campaign using test kits almost a decade ago, millions of new wells have been installed but not tested, thus affordable testing is needed. The performance of the Arsenic Econo-Quick (EQ) kit was evaluated by blindly testing 123 wells in Bangladesh and comparing with laboratory measurements; 65 wells were tested twice. A subset of the same 123 wells was also tested using the Hach EZ kit in the field and the Digital Arsenator in the laboratory in Bangladesh. The EQ kit correctly determined the status of 110 (89%) and 113 (92%) out of 123 wells relative to the WHO guideline (10 μg/L) and the Bangladesh standard (50 μg/L), respectively. Relative to the WHO guideline, all misclassifications were underestimates for wells containing between >10 and 27 μg/L As. Relative to the Bangladesh As standard, over- and under-estimates were evenly distributed. Given its short reaction time of 10 min relative to the Hach EZ and its lower cost compared to the Arsenator, the EQ kit appears to have several advantages for well testing in Bangladesh and elsewhere. PMID:22866936

Early Intervention Programs in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowe, Armin

1993-01-01

This paper discusses the incidence of hearing impairment in Bangladesh, the struggle to achieve appropriate services for this population, the establishment of the National Centre for Hearing and Speech of Children, and future plans. (JDD)

Cost and Time Effectiveness Analysis of a Telemedicine Service in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sorwar, Golam; Rahamn, Md Mustafizur; Uddin, Ramiz; Hoque, Md Rakibul

2016-01-01

Telemedicine has great potential to overcome geographical barriers to providing access to equal health care services, particularly for people living in remote and rural areas in developing countries like Bangladesh. A number of telemedicine systems have been implemented in Bangladesh. However, no significant studies have been conducted to determine either their cost effectiveness or efficiency in reducing travel time required by patients. In addition, very few studies have analyzed the attitude and level of satisfaction of telemedicine service recipients in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to analyze the cost and time effectiveness of a telemedicine service, implemented through locally developed PC based diagnostic equipment and software in Bangladesh, compared to conventional means of providing those services. The study revealed that the introduced telemedicine service reduced cost and travel time on average by 56% and 94% respectively compared to its counterpart conventional approach. The study also revealed that majority of users were highly satisfied with the newly introduced telemedicine service. Therefore, the introduced telemedicine service can be considered as a low cost and time efficient health service solution to improve health care facilities in the remote rural areas in Bangladesh.

The concentrations of arsenic and other toxic elements in Bangladesh's drinking water.

PubMed

Frisbie, Seth H; Ortega, Richard; Maynard, Donald M; Sarkar, Bibudhendra

2002-11-01

For drinking water, the people of Bangladesh used to rely on surface water, which was often contaminated with bacteria causing diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, and other life-threatening diseases. To reduce the incidences of these diseases, millions of tubewells were installed in Bangladesh since independence in 1971. This recent transition from surface water to groundwater has significantly reduced deaths from waterborne pathogens; however, new evidence suggests disease and death from arsenic (As) and other toxic elements in groundwater are affecting large areas of Bangladesh. In this evaluation, the areal and vertical distribution of As and 29 other inorganic chemicals in groundwater were determined throughout Bangladesh. This study of 30 analytes per sample and 112 samples suggests that the most significant health risk from drinking Bangladesh's tubewell water is chronic As poisoning. The As concentration ranged from < 0.0007 to 0.64 mg/L, with 48% of samples above the 0.01 mg/L World Health Organization drinking water guideline. Furthermore, this study reveals unsafe levels of manganese (Mn), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), and chromium (Cr). Our survey also suggests that groundwater with unsafe levels of As, Mn, Pb, Ni, and Cr may extend beyond Bangladesh's border into the four adjacent and densely populated states in India. In addition to the health risks from individual toxins, possible multimetal synergistic and inhibitory effects are discussed. Antimony was detected in 98% of the samples from this study and magnifies the toxic effects of As. In contrast, Se and Zn were below our detection limits in large parts of Bangladesh and prevent the toxic effects of As.

Birth of a megaproject: Political economy of flood control in bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyce, James K.

1990-07-01

A major flood control initiative has been launched in Bangladesh under the coordination of the World Bank. The bank's five-year Action Plan is intended to initiate a long-term investment program, the specifics of which remain to be determined. Long-term proposals under consideration include the construction of massive embankments along the great rivers of the Bangladesh delta. The wisdom of such a “structural solution” to Bangladesh's flood problems can be questioned on economic, environmental, and technical grounds. Regrettably, the decision-making process has not encouraged wide debate on these questions.

Fertility transition in Bangladesh: trends and determinants.

PubMed

Kabir, M; Uddin, M M

1987-12-01

The poor quality of data on Bangladesh fertility hampers any analysis of the country's recent demographic trends. In general, however, it appears that total fertility remained stable between the 1960s and 1975, and then fell by about 12% in the 1975-85 period. The change in fertility appears attributable to an increase in the contraceptive prevalence rate and a decline in the proportion married in the younger age groups. Bangladesh is, according to Bongaart's classification, in the second phase of demographic transition during which contraceptive use is modest and breastfeeding exerts an important curb on fertility. However, there is evidence of a latent demand for family planning to space births; improved contraceptive practice is the factor most likely to bring about large fertility reductions in the years ahead. Contraceptive prevalence is estimated to have increased from 8% of currently married women in 1975 to 25% in 1985 and there have been steady increased in method effectiveness. Other determinants, such as spouse separation, postpartum abstinence, abortion, and sterility must also be considered in predicting future fertility trends in Bangladesh.

Healthcare use and expenditure for diabetes in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Lechner, Andreas; Ferrari, Uta; Laxy, Michael; Seissler, Jochen; Brown, Jonathan; Niessen, Louis W; Holle, Rolf

2017-01-01

Background Diabetes imposes a huge social and economic impact on nations. However, information on the costs of treating and managing diabetes in developing countries is limited. The aim of this study was to estimate healthcare use and expenditure for diabetes in Bangladesh. Methods We conducted a matched case–control study between January and July 2014 among 591 adults with diagnosed diabetes mellitus (DMs) and 591 age-matched, sex-matched and residence-matched persons without diabetes mellitus (non-DMs). We recruited DMs from consecutive patients and non-DMs from accompanying persons in the Bangladesh Institute of Health Science (BIHS) hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We estimated the impact of diabetes on healthcare use and expenditure by calculating ratios and differences between DMs and non-DMs for all expenses related to healthcare use and tested for statistical difference using Student's t-tests. Results DMs had two times more days of inpatient treatment, 1.3 times more outpatient visits, and 9.7 times more medications than non-DMs (all p<0.005). The total annual per capita expenditure on medical care was 6.1 times higher for DMs than non-DMs (US$635 vs US$104, respectively). Among DMs, 9.8% reported not taking any antidiabetic medications, 46.4% took metformin, 38.7% sulfonylurea, 40.8% insulin, 38.7% any antihypertensive medication, and 14.2% took anti-lipids over the preceding 3 months. Conclusions Diabetes significantly increases healthcare use and expenditure and is likely to impose a huge economic burden on the healthcare systems in Bangladesh. The study highlights the importance of prevention and optimum management of diabetes in Bangladesh and other developing countries, to gain a strong economic incentive through implementing multisectoral approach and cost-effective prevention strategies. PMID:28588991

The Bangladesh paradox: exceptional health achievement despite economic poverty.

PubMed

Chowdhury, A Mushtaque R; Bhuiya, Abbas; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Rasheed, Sabrina; Hussain, Zakir; Chen, Lincoln C

2013-11-23

Bangladesh, the eighth most populous country in the world with about 153 million people, has recently been applauded as an exceptional health performer. In the first paper in this Series, we present evidence to show that Bangladesh has achieved substantial health advances, but the country's success cannot be captured simplistically because health in Bangladesh has the paradox of steep and sustained reductions in birth rate and mortality alongside continued burdens of morbidity. Exceptional performance might be attributed to a pluralistic health system that has many stakeholders pursuing women-centred, gender-equity-oriented, highly focused health programmes in family planning, immunisation, oral rehydration therapy, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, vitamin A supplementation, and other activities, through the work of widely deployed community health workers reaching all households. Government and non-governmental organisations have pioneered many innovations that have been scaled up nationally. However, these remarkable achievements in equity and coverage are counterbalanced by the persistence of child and maternal malnutrition and the low use of maternity-related services. The Bangladesh paradox shows the net outcome of successful direct health action in both positive and negative social determinants of health--ie, positives such as women's empowerment, widespread education, and mitigation of the effect of natural disasters; and negatives such as low gross domestic product, pervasive poverty, and the persistence of income inequality. Bangladesh offers lessons such as how gender equity can improve health outcomes, how health innovations can be scaled up, and how direct health interventions can partly overcome socioeconomic constraints. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Men in Bangladesh play a role in family planning.

PubMed

Ahsan, S B

1992-08-01

More and more men are convincing their wives to use family planning in Bangladesh. In this conservative, Moslem country, women are not allowed to leave the homes so husbands must go to buy methods especially rural areas. 70% of women who use oral contraceptives (OCs), IUDs, or condoms report that their husbands obtain these method for them. many couples are poor peasants. Contraceptive prevalence is not 23.2%. Female sterilization and OCs are the 2 most popular methods (9% each) followed by condoms (2%), IUD (1.7%), and vasectomy (1.5%). The total fertility rate is 4.8 which is higher than the goal of 3.5 Bangladesh hoped to reach by 1995. In 1975, 30% of women believed fate determines family size but now only 8% think that. Attitude changes about family size have occurred despite illiteracy and poverty. Traditional religious beliefs are still prevalent in rural areas making it difficult for wives to speak to their husbands about family planning. Husband-wife communication is more open among urban, middle class couples. The long lasting hormonal implant, Norplant, holds promise as a means for Bangladesh to reach its goal. About 4500 women now have Norplant and government and nongovernment clinics plan to insert it into around 20,000 more women. A study of 2586 potential acceptors of Norplant at family clinics in Bangladesh 3 other developing countries shows that counseling diminishes the anxiety women and their husbands experience about Norplant and its side effects. A study in Bangladesh reveals higher continuation rates of Norplant for women whose husbands underwent counseling than for those whose husbands did not undergo counseling. Family planning advertisements on the radio, TV, and in newspapers have convinced couples to use family planning, but the advertisements tend to not explaining how to use family planning. Men are key to the changes in attitude about family planning in Bangladesh.

Needs assessment for master of nursing programmes among Bangladesh nurses.

PubMed

Lee, T W; Kim, H S; Kim, S; Chu, S H; Kim, M S; Lee, S J; Lim, S; Jeon, Y; Park, H J; Anowar, M N; Begum, T

2016-03-01

This study aimed to assess the intent to enrol in a master of nursing programme among Bangladesh nurses, identify preferred programme options and measure the association among intent to enrol in the programme, clinical competency and job satisfaction. Personal and professional aspects of potential students pursuing graduate education are beneficial in devising educational strategies. However, considering the pressing needs for higher nursing education, there are no masters of nursing programmes in Bangladesh. This study used a descriptive correlational design. Nurses working in Bangladesh public sector were recruited to participate in a self-administered survey (n = 260). The questionnaire consisted of perception of job satisfaction, clinical competency and the need for educational options, including the intent to enrol in a master of nursing programme, preferred specialty area, curriculum content and career goals after graduation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and point-biserial correlation. Ninety per cent of the respondents reported that they intended to enrol in a master of nursing programme. Intention was significantly correlated with clinical competency but not with job satisfaction. The most preferred specialty areas were nursing management and education. Half of the respondents responded that teaching at nursing schools was a career goal after graduation. The results of the needs assessment for the programme reflected the unique interest and priorities of the current status of Bangladesh. The results indicate a strong motivation to enrol in a master of nursing programme, confidence in clinical competence and high demand for programme in nursing management and education. These findings should be considered to design the programme in order to meet the interest of Bangladesh nurses. Educational needs assessments should take precedence to ensure the best possible educational outcome and to produce competent nurses who will contribute in

Young Adults' Linguistic Manipulation of English in Bangla in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultana, Shaila

2014-01-01

It is commonly assumed in the print media that bilingual young adults in Bangladesh are subjugated by the colonial legacy of English and they are "polluting" Bangla, the national language of Bangladesh, by their indiscriminate insertion of English in it. However, this ethnographic study on a group of young adults in a university in…

Prospects and problems of medical tourism in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mamun, Muhammad Z; Andaleeb, Syed Saad

2013-01-01

The growing trend of Bangladeshi patients travelling abroad for medical services has led to some soul-searching in policy circles. While other countries of the Southeast Asia region are profiting from medical tourism, Bangladesh not only lags behind, it also loses patients to these countries in a continuous stream. This exodus for medical treatment is seemingly driven by the higher perceived quality of treatment abroad, despite the fact that similar treatment is available more cost-effectively within the country. Certainly the Bangladesh health care system is not without its problenis, which have diminished the perception of quality in the sector. Thus, this study focuses on key factors for Bangladeshi health service providers to address. By doing so, they will be better able to develop the local health care sector and retain Bangladeshi patients within the country. Subsequently, by identifying strategic niches, Bangladesh could focus on delivering higher quality health care services to develop medical tourism and attract patients from abroad in specific categories of health care.

Age at first marriage and its determinants in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, M N; Ahmed, A U

1998-06-01

The authors investigate marriage patterns and their determinants in Bangladesh, using data from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey. "It is believed that, whatever is the impact of the differentials that could be discerned from the analysis, a lower age at marriage (a) among rural women, (b) among those who are Muslims and (c) among those without pre-marital exposure to work is associated with a low level of education." excerpt

Problems and Prospects of Science Education in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Shamima K.

2009-04-01

Scientific and technological know-how, not the amount of natural resources, determines the development of a country. Bangladesh, with insignificant natural resources and a huge population on a small piece of land, can be developed through scientific and technological means. Whereas it was once the most sought-after subject at secondary and postsecondary levels, science is losing its appeal in an alarming shift of choice. Problems in science education and possible solutions for Bangladesh, which has limited resources for encouraging science education, are presented.

Measuring Progress Toward Universal Health Coverage: Does the Monitoring Framework of Bangladesh Need Further Improvement?

PubMed

Gupta, Rajat Das; Shahabuddin, Asm

2018-01-08

This review aimed to compare Bangladesh's Universal Health Coverage (UHC) monitoring framework with the global-level recommendations and to find out the existing gaps of Bangladesh's UHC monitoring framework compared to the global recommendations. In order to reach the aims of the review, we systematically searched two electronic databases - PubMed and Google Scholar - by using appropriate keywords to select articles that describe issues related to UHC and the monitoring framework of UHC applied globally and particularly in Bangladesh. Four relevant documents were found and synthesized. The review found that Bangladesh incorporated all of the recommendations suggested by the global monitoring framework regarding mentoring the financial risk protection and equity perspective. However, a significant gap in the monitoring framework related to service coverage was observed. Although Bangladesh has a significant burden of mental illnesses, cataract, and neglected tropical diseases, indicators related to these issues were absent in Bangladesh's UHC framework. Moreover, palliative-care-related indicators were completely missing in the framework. The results of this review suggest that Bangladesh should incorporate these indicators in their UHC monitoring framework in order to track the progress of the country toward UHC more efficiently and in a robust way.

Trapped in Statelessness: Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Milton, Abul Hasnat; Rahman, Mijanur; Hussain, Sumaira; Jindal, Charulata; Choudhury, Sushmita; Akter, Shahnaz; Ferdousi, Shahana; Mouly, Tafzila Akter; Hall, John; Efird, Jimmy T

2017-08-21

The Rohingya people are one of the most ill-treated and persecuted refugee groups in the world, having lived in a realm of statelessness for over six generations, and who are still doing so. In recent years, more than 500,000 Rohingyas fled from Myanmar (Burma) to neighboring countries. This article addresses the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, with special emphasis on the living conditions of this vulnerable population. We reviewed several documents on Rohingya refugees, visited a registered refugee camp (Teknaf), collected case reports, and conducted a series of meetings with stakeholders in the Cox's Bazar district of Bangladesh. A total of 33,131 registered Rohingya refugees are living in two registered camps in Cox's Bazar, and up to 80,000 additional refugees are housed in nearby makeshift camps. Overall, the living conditions of Rohingya refugees inside the overcrowded camps remain dismal. Mental health is poor, proper hygiene conditions are lacking, malnutrition is endemic, and physical/sexual abuse is high. A concerted diplomatic effort involving Bangladesh and Myanmar, and international mediators such as the Organization of Islamic Countries and the United Nations, is urgently required to effectively address this complex situation.

HIV/AIDS in Bangladesh: a national surveillance

PubMed Central

Islam, Manirul; Mitra, Amal K; Mian, Anwarul Huq; Vermund, Sten H

2009-01-01

Summary Nationwide surveillance of HIV/AIDS from 1989 through 1996 in Bangladesh included several risk groups such as professional blood donors, patients with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), pregnant women at antenatal clinics, commercial sex workers (CSWs), patients with tuberculosis, long-distance truck drivers, sailors, and non-residents. The population was enrolled by convenience sampling after taking informed consent. Among 70,676 persons tested, 80 (1.13 per 1000) were HIV positive. The prevalence rate was steady until 1994, and then increased rapidly. The rate among male heterosexuals was significantly higher than that in females (3.40 per 1000 versus 0.29 per 1000; odds ratio (OR) 11.60; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 6.45 to 21.16; P<0.0001). Twelve per cent of patients with STDs had HIV. The HIV cases concentrated in 2 districts, Sylhet (25/72) and Chittagong (20/72), that border India and Myanmar (formerly Burma), respectively. Frequent movement of people of Bangladesh to India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Thailand, where HIV rates are higher, is one of the possible sources of spread of the cases. Bangladesh has the potential to avert epidemic spread of HIV at its early stage. PMID:10454184

Trapped in Statelessness: Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Milton, Abul Hasnat; Rahman, Mijanur; Hussain, Sumaira; Jindal, Charulata; Choudhury, Sushmita; Akter, Shahnaz; Ferdousi, Shahana; Mouly, Tafzila Akter; Hall, John; Efird, Jimmy T.

2017-01-01

The Rohingya people are one of the most ill-treated and persecuted refugee groups in the world, having lived in a realm of statelessness for over six generations, and who are still doing so. In recent years, more than 500,000 Rohingyas fled from Myanmar (Burma) to neighboring countries. This article addresses the Rohingya refugee crisis in Bangladesh, with special emphasis on the living conditions of this vulnerable population. We reviewed several documents on Rohingya refugees, visited a registered refugee camp (Teknaf), collected case reports, and conducted a series of meetings with stakeholders in the Cox’s Bazar district of Bangladesh. A total of 33,131 registered Rohingya refugees are living in two registered camps in Cox’s Bazar, and up to 80,000 additional refugees are housed in nearby makeshift camps. Overall, the living conditions of Rohingya refugees inside the overcrowded camps remain dismal. Mental health is poor, proper hygiene conditions are lacking, malnutrition is endemic, and physical/sexual abuse is high. A concerted diplomatic effort involving Bangladesh and Myanmar, and international mediators such as the Organization of Islamic Countries and the United Nations, is urgently required to effectively address this complex situation. PMID:28825673

Smoking, health, and survival: prospects in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Cohen, N

1981-05-16

Smoking is an increasingly prevalent habit in Bangladesh, particularly among men. In the past 10-15 years cigarette consumption has more than doubled. Over 100000 acres (405 Km2) of land that could produce food are planted with tobacco, and cereal imports making up for these production losses generally do not reach the below-subsistence cultivator and landless. Cancer of the lung is already the third commonest cancer among males, and annual deaths from this cause can be expected to increase by 12000 within 15 years. At present respiratory disease is the best-recognised direct health consequence of smoking. However, a more important health risk may be the reduction in nutritional status of young children which results from expenditure on smoking in households whose income for food purchase is already marginal. Smoking of only 5 cigarettes a day in poor household in Bangladesh might lead to a monthly dietary deficit of 8000 calories (33.5 MJ). The existence of young children in Bangladesh is already precarious owing to poor nutrition. If, as seems likely, expenditure on smoking means that they get even less food, then the survival of a large number of children is being seriously endangered.

Smallpox Eradication in Bangladesh, 1972–19761

PubMed Central

Foster, Stanley O.; Hughes, Kenneth; Tarantola, Daniel; Glasser, John W.

2017-01-01

Rahima Bano, the world’s last endemic case of severe smallpox, Variola Major, developed rash on October 16, 1975 on Bhola Island, Bangladesh. Achieving eradication in a country destroyed by war challenged the achievement of smallpox eradication. Between January 1, 1972 and December 31, 1975, 225,000 smallpox cases and 45,000 smallpox deaths occurred. Adapting the global smallpox eradication strategies of surveillance, the detection of smallpox cases, and containment, the interruption of smallpox transmission, utilized progress toward three objectives to monitor performance: 1) Surveillance – the percent smallpox infected villages detected within 14 days of the first case of rash, 2) Knowledge of the Reward – public knowledge of the current amount of the reward for reporting smallpox, and 3) Containment – the percent of infected villages interrupting smallpox transmission within 14 days of detection. Failures to achieve these objectives led to identification and implementation of improved strategies that eventually achieved eradication. Essential to this success was a tripartite partnership of the citizens of Bangladesh, the Bangladesh Ministry of Health and its field staff, and personnel and resources mobilized by the World Health Organization. PMID:22188934

Molecular detection and genetic diversity of Babesia gibsoni in dogs in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Terao, Masashi; Akter, Shirin; Yasin, Md Golam; Nakao, Ryo; Kato, Hirotomo; Alam, Mohammad Zahangir; Katakura, Ken

2015-04-01

Babesia gibsoni is a tick-borne hemoprotozoan parasite of dogs that often causes fever and hemolytic illness. Detection of B. gibsoni has been predominantly reported in Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bangladesh and India. The present study shows the first molecular characterization of B. gibsoni detected from dogs in Bangladesh. Blood samples were collected on FTA® Elute cards from 50 stray dogs in Mymensingh District in Bangladesh. DNA eluted from the cards was subjected to nested PCR for the 18S rRNA gene of Babesia species. Approximately 800bp PCR products were detected in 15 of 50 dogs (30%). Based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and direct sequencing of the PCR products, all parasite isolates were identified as B. gibsoni. Furthermore, the BgTRAP (B. gibsoni thrombospondin-related adhesive protein) gene fragments were detected in 13 of 15 18S rRNA gene PCR positive blood samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the BgTRAP gene revealed that B. gibsoni parasites in Bangladesh formed a cluster, which was genetically different from other Asian B. gibsoni isolates. In addition, tandem repeat analysis of the BgTRAP gene clearly showed considerable genetic variation among Bangladeshi isolates. These results suggested that B. gibsoni parasites in a different genetic clade are endemic in dogs in Bangladesh. Further studies are required to elucidate the origin, distribution, vector and pathogenesis of B. gibsoni parasites circulating in dogs in Bangladesh. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Potential contribution of the forestry sector in Bangladesh to carbon sequestration.

PubMed

Yong Shin, Man; Miah, Danesh M; Lee, Kyeong Hak

2007-01-01

The Kyoto Protocol provides for the involvement of developing countries in an atmospheric greenhouse gas reduction regime under its Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Carbon credits are gained from reforestation and afforestation activities in developing countries. Bangladesh, a densely populated tropical country in South Asia, has a huge degraded forestland which can be reforested by CDM projects. To realize the potential of the forestry sector in developing countries for full-scale emission mitigation, the carbon sequestration potential of different species in different types of plantations should be integrated with the carbon trading system under the CDM of the Kyoto Protocol. This paper discusses the prospects and problems of carbon trading in Bangladesh, in relation to the CDM, in the context of global warming and the potential associated consequences. The paper analyzes the effects of reforestation projects on carbon sequestration in Bangladesh, in general, and in the hilly Chittagong region, in particular, and concludes by demonstrating the carbon trading opportunities. Results showed that tree tissue in the forests of Bangladesh stored 92tons of carbon per hectare (tC/ha), on average. The results also revealed a gross stock of 190tC/ha in the plantations of 13 tree species, ranging in age from 6 to 23 years. The paper confirms the huge atmospheric CO(2) offset by the forests if the degraded forestlands are reforested by CDM projects, indicating the potential of Bangladesh to participate in carbon trading for both its economic and environmental benefit. Within the forestry sector itself, some constraints are identified; nevertheless, the results of the study can expedite policy decisions regarding Bangladesh's participation in carbon trading through the CDM.

Introduction of Bayesian network in risk analysis of maritime accidents in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Sohanur

2017-12-01

Due to the unique geographic location, complex navigation environment and intense vessel traffic, a considerable number of maritime accidents occurred in Bangladesh which caused serious loss of life, property and environmental contamination. Based on the historical data of maritime accidents from 1981 to 2015, which has been collected from Department of Shipping (DOS) and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), this paper conducted a risk analysis of maritime accidents by applying Bayesian network. In order to conduct this study, a Bayesian network model has been developed to find out the relation among parameters and the probability of them which affect accidents based on the accident investigation report of Bangladesh. Furthermore, number of accidents in different categories has also been investigated in this paper. Finally, some viable recommendations have been proposed in order to ensure greater safety of inland vessels in Bangladesh.

Himalayan Foothills, Bangladesh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This remarkably clear, pre-monsoon view of the Himalayan foothills of Bangladesh (26.0N, 89.5E) shows the deforestation of the lower slopes for agriculture and pasture lands. The cleared lower slopes are generally used for tea cultivation. The intensity of agricultural land use, mostly in the form of small, family subsistance farms on the Ganges Plain is evident over most of the scene. Note also, the aircraft contrail and Tista River.

A Qualitative Stakeholder Analysis of Avian Influenza Policy in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chattopadhyay, Kaushik; Fournié, Guillaume; Abul Kalam, Md; Biswas, Paritosh K; Hoque, Ahasanul; Debnath, Nitish C; Rahman, Mahmudur; Pfeiffer, Dirk U; Harper, David; Heymann, David L

2017-11-13

Avian influenza is a major animal and public health concern in Bangladesh. A decade after development and implementation of the first national avian influenza and human pandemic influenza preparedness and response plan in Bangladesh, a two-stage qualitative stakeholder analysis was performed in relation to the policy development process and the actual policy. This study specifically aimed to identify the future policy options to prevent and control avian influenza and other poultry-related zoonotic diseases in Bangladesh. It was recommended that the policy should be based on the One Health concept, be evidence-based, sustainable, reviewed and updated as necessary. The future policy environment that is suitable for developing and implementing these policies should take into account the following points: the need to formally engage multiple sectors, the need for clear and acceptable leadership, roles and responsibilities and the need for a common pool of resources and provision for transferring resources. Most of these recommendations are directed towards the Government of Bangladesh. However, other sectors, including research and poultry production stakeholders, also have a major role to play to inform policy making and actively participate in the multi-sectoral approach.

Conserving the zoological resources of Bangladesh under a changing climate.

PubMed

DAS, Bidhan C

2009-06-01

It is now well recognized that Bangladesh is one of the world's most vulnerable countries to climate change and sea level rise. Low levels of natural resources and a high occurrence of natural disasters further add to the challenges faced by the country. The impacts of climate change are anticipated to exacerbate these existing stresses and constitute a serious impediment to poverty reduction and economic development. Ecosystems and biodiversity are important key sectors of the economy and natural resources of the country are selected as the most vulnerable to climate change. It is for these reasons that Bangladesh should prepare to conserve its natural resources under changed climatic conditions. Unfortunately, the development of specific strategies and policies to address the effects of climate change on the ecosystem and on biodiversity has not commenced in Bangladesh. Here, I present a detailed review of animal resources of Bangladesh, an outline of the major areas in zoological research to be integrated to adapt to climate change, and identified few components for each of the aforesaid areas in relation to the natural resource conservation and management in the country. © 2009 ISZS, Blackwell Publishing and IOZ/CAS.

Assessing alternative industrial fortification portfolios: a Bangladesh case study.

PubMed

Fiedler, John L; Lividini, Keith; Guyondet, Christophe; Bermudez, Odilia I

2015-03-01

Approximately 1.2 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) are lost annually in Bangladesh due to deficiencies of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. To provide evidence on the coverage, costs, and cost-effectiveness of alternative fortification interventions to inform nutrition policy-making in Bangladesh. Combining the 2005 Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey with a Bangladesh food composition table, apparent intakes of energy, vitamin A, iron, and zinc, and the coverage and apparent consumption levels of fortifiable vegetable oil and wheat flour are estimated. Assuming that fortification levels are those established in official regulations, the costs and cost-effectiveness of the two vehicles are assessed independently and as a two-vehicle portfolio. Vegetable oil has a coverage rate of 76% and is estimated to reduce the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake from 83% to 64%. The coverage of wheat flour is high (65%), but the small quantities consumed result in small reductions in the prevalence of inadequate intakes: 1.5 percentage points for iron, less than 1 for zinc, and 2 for vitamin A, while reducing average Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) gaps by 8%, 9%, and 15%, respectively. The most cost-effective 10-micronutrient wheat flour formulation costs US $1.91 million annually, saving 129,212 DALYs at a unit cost of US $14.75. Fortifying vegetable oil would cost US $1.27 million annually, saving 406,877 DALYs at an average cost of US $3.25. Sensitivity analyses explore various permutations of the wheat flour formulation. Divisional variations in coverage, cost, and impact are examined. Vegetable oil fortification is the most cost-effective of the three portfolios analyzed, but all three are very cost-effective options for Bangladesh.

Increasing prevalence of diabetes in Bangladesh: a scoping review.

PubMed

Biswas, T; Islam, A; Rawal, L B; Islam, S M S

2016-09-01

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing rapidly in Bangladesh. However, studies documenting the increasing trend of diabetes prevalence are scarce. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review of published literature to ascertain the changing patterns of diabetes prevalence in Bangladesh. We conducted a scoping review based on York scoping reviews framework and performed a comprehensive search of published literature through Medline, BanglaJOL, and Google Scholar published between 1994 and 2013. We summarised and calculated the time trends and pooled prevalence for type 2 diabetes among adults (≥18 years) in both urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. Of 152 studies identified, we included 22 studies for the scoping review which met the inclusion criteria. Overall, 11 studies (50%) were conducted in rural areas, eight in urban (36%) and three (14%) in semi-urban, semi-rural and tribal areas. The overall prevalence of type 2 diabetes ranged between 4.5% and 35.0%. The final estimate of diabetes prevalence obtained after pooling of data from individual studies among 51,252 participants was 7.4% (95% CI 7.2-7.7%). The prevalence of diabetes was higher in males compared to females in urban areas and vice-versa in rural areas. Analyses of exponential trend revealed an increasing trend of diabetes prevalence among urban and rural population at a rate of 0.05% (R = 0.18) and 0.06% (R = 0.35) per year, respectively. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes showed an increasing trend in both urban and rural population in Bangladesh. Our findings suggest the need for an all-out effort by the government and stakeholders to implement preventive strategies for diabetes in Bangladesh. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High mortality from Guillain-Barré syndrome in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ishaque, Tanveen; Islam, Mohammad B; Ara, Gulshan; Endtz, Hubert P; Mohammad, Quazi D; Jacobs, Bart C; Islam, Zhahirul

2017-06-01

Although Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) has higher incidence and poor outcome in Bangladesh, mortality from GBS in Bangladesh has never been explored before. We sought to explore the frequency, timing, and risk factors for deaths from GBS in Bangladesh. We conducted a prospective study on 407 GBS patients who were admitted to Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh from 2010 to 2013. We compared deceased and alive patients to identify risk factors. Cox regression model was used to adjust for confounders. Of the 407 GBS patients, 50 (12%) died, with the median time interval between the onset of weakness and death of 18 days. Among the fatal cases, 24 (48%) were ≥40 years, 36 (72%) had a Medical Research Council sum score ≤20 at entry, 33 (66%) had a progressive phase <8 days, and 27 (54%) required ventilation support. Ten patients (20%) died due to unavailability of ventilator. The strongest risk factor for deaths was lack of ventilator support when it was required (HR: 11.9; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.6-30.7). Other risk factors for death included age ≥40 years (HR: 5.9; 95% CI: 2.1-16.7), mechanical ventilation (HR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.02-5.2), longer progressive phase (>8 days) (HR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.1-3.8), autonomic dysfunction (HR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.05-3.6), and bulbar nerve involvement (HR: 5.4; 95% CI: 1.5-19.2). In Bangladesh, GBS is associated with higher mortality rates, which is related to lack of ventilator support, disease severity, longer progressive phase of the disease, autonomic dysfunction, and involvement of the bulbar nerves. © 2017 Peripheral Nerve Society.

Assignment Children. The BRAC Non-Formal Primary Education Programme in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovell, Catherine H.; Fatema, Kaniz

In 1985, in response to requests from rural poor people, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), the largest nongovernmental organization in Bangladesh, initiated a primary education program with experimental schools in 22 villages. By late 1989, the program had expanded to 2,500 schools, and another 2,000 schools were expected to open…

Population growth and development: the case of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nakibullah, A

1998-04-01

In a poor, overly populated country such as Bangladesh, some believe that a high rate of population growth is a cause of poverty which impedes economic development. Population growth would therefore be exogenous to economic development. However, others believe that rapid population growth is a consequence rather than a cause of poverty. Population growth is therefore endogenous to economic development. Findings are presented from an investigation of whether population growth has been exogenous or endogenous with respect to Bangladesh's development process during the past 3 decades. The increase in per capita real gross domestic product (GDP) is used as a measure of development. Data on population, real GDP per capita, and real investment share of GDP are drawn from the Penn World Table prepared by Summers and Heston in 1991. The data are annual and cover the period 1959-90. Analysis of the data indicate that population growth is endogenous to Bangladesh's development process. These findings are reflected both in the Granger causality tests and the decompositions of variances of detrended real GDP per capita and population growth.

Non-Formal Education in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indian Journal of Adult Education, 1979

1979-01-01

Describes many ecological, social, and economic problems of Bangladesh in order to show the need for development of nonformal education to increase productivity in agriculture and related industries. Describes nine nonformal education projects in various areas of rural development, cooperatives, extension services, and adult education. (MF)

Analysis of ante-partum maternal morbidity in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Nitai; Islam, M Ataharul; Chowdhury, Rafiqul Islam; Bari, Wasimul

2003-01-01

This paper presents the results of a prospective study of maternal morbidity during the ante-partum period in rural areas of Bangladesh. The data came from a survey of Maternal Morbidity in Bangladesh, conducted by the Bangladesh Institute of Research for Promotion of Essential and Reproductive Health and Technologies (BIRPERHT) during the period from November 1992 to December 1993. Since then no such national level survey has been conducted in Bangladesh. This paper employs multiple-decrement life table technique, a convenient way of analysing the risks of different types of disease conditions that women experience during the antenatal period for different age categories. The high-risk complications such as ante-partum haemorrhage, excessive vomiting, fits/convulsion and oedema were considered in this study. In this study a cause specific model was applied to explore the differences in the risks exerted at different ages of reproductive life attributable to some selected complications of pregnancy. The results of this study indicate that women of age 25-29 years are less susceptible to most of the selected life-threatening and high-risk complications during pregnancy such as haemorrhage, fits/convulsion and oedema. However, younger women (age < 25 years) are more likely to have excessive vomiting during pregnancy, and older women (age > or = 30 years) are at greater risk of haemorrhage, fits/convulsion and oedema.

The link between infertility and poverty: evidence from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nahar, Papreen

2012-03-01

The link between high fertility and poverty is well established. However, this paper shows how infertility may also generate poverty among childless families in Bangladesh. An ethnographic study was conducted, involving various qualitative research methods that revealed economic consequences to be one of the crucial sequelae of childlessness in Bangladesh. This paper details how the poverty/fertility relationship is dependent on social and institutional characteristics, including patriarchal values, education, urban-rural location and health services. Empirical data show that childlessness generates poverty in various ways, including the deprivation of children's earnings, decline in women's mobility, demoralisation of men to earn an income, marriage devaluation by the husband, disbursements for treatment and denial of microcredit (very small loans to those in poverty, which support them to become self-employed to generate income). The current study shows that the infertility/poverty relationship is mostly contingent upon class and gender. It is therefore the rural poor childless women who are most badly affected economically in Bangladesh rather than the urban middle class childless women. In other words, this study reveal that along with gender, class plays a dominant role in terms of the economic consequences of childlessness in Bangladesh. It sheds light on a different and unusual aspect of poverty and aims to contribute to the gender discussion of livelihood and poverty.

The price sensitivity of cigarette consumption in Bangladesh: evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) Surveys.

PubMed

Nargis, Nigar; Ruthbah, Ummul H; Hussain, A K M Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T; Huq, Iftekharul; Ashiquzzaman, S M

2014-03-01

In Bangladesh, the average excise tax on cigarettes accounted for just 38% of the average retail price of cigarettes in 2009, and 45% in 2010. Both these rates are well below the WHO recommended share of 70% of the retail price at a minimum. There is thus ample room for raising taxes on cigarettes in Bangladesh. The objective of the present work was therefore to estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and the effect of tax increases on the consumption of cigarettes and on tax revenue in Bangladesh. Based on data from Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) of the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh Survey, we estimated the overall impact of a price change on cigarette demand using a two-part model. The total price elasticity of cigarettes was measured by the sum of the elasticity of smoking prevalence and the elasticity of average daily consumption conditional on smoking participation. The price elasticity estimates were used in a simulation model to predict changes in cigarette consumption and tax revenue from tax and price increases. The total price elasticity of demand for cigarettes was estimated at -0.49. The elasticity of smoking prevalence accounted for 59% of the total price elasticity. The price elasticity of cigarette consumption is higher for people belonging to lower socioeconomic status. Increases in taxes would result in a significant reduction in cigarette consumption while increasing tax revenue. Raising cigarette prices through increased taxation could lead to a win-win-win situation in Bangladesh: it would reduce cigarette consumption, increase tobacco tax revenue and potentially decrease socioeconomic inequities.

Why does Bangladesh remain so poor? Part II: eight answers.

PubMed

Maloney, C

1985-01-01

Bangladeshis of varying background all over the country were asked why they think poverty persists to such an extent in Bangladesh. Their answers provide a new perspective on the situation. The initial response often blames outside and natural causes -- floods, droughts, lack of resources, low demand for the country's exports, or historic exploitation. It is true that Bangladesh has virtually no mineral resources except gas. Yet, the soil, water, and human labor add up to a huge potential. The Third Five Year Plan emphasizes use of the soil, irrigation, tanks, rivers, and human labor. These provide the only hope for reducing poverty a little during the next 5 years. Bangladeshis as well as foreign observers most commonly cite overpopulation as the cause of poverty. Population growth is a cause of present poverty in Bangladesh but is not the only cause of poverty. The Third Five Year Plan goal to reduce annual growth to 1.8% is ambitious, but even if it is achieved the population will double in a few decades. As it would most likely be impossible for Bangladesh to support such numbers and maintain political and economic stability, such growth will have to be prevented. Poverty in Bangladesh is party a result of the long history of low urbanization, weak institutions, spotty and inadequate physical infrastructure, and insufficient entrapreneurship. Other reasons cited as causes of persisting poverty include illiteracy, idleness, class exploitation, the selfishness of individuals, and a lack of trust among people. All of the efforts of the poor themselves, various agencies, and the government, as examined in the 1st part of this discussion, fail to indicate any reason to hope that poverty in Bangladesh can be dramatically reduced any time soon. The Third Five Year Plan foresees a possible reduction of the number of those in poverty by 10%. According to the Plan itself, those in or near poverty comprise 85% of the people. The conditions under which the people of some

Fish and food preservation by radiation in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hossain, M.M.

1985-01-01

Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission (BAEC) has been engaged for the last two decades in research and development activities in food irradiation and has been actively participating in research projects under the Regional Project in Food Irradiation (RPFI) of the RCA countries since its inception. The Institute of Food and Radiation Biology (IFRB) of the Commission has been using since 1979 a 50,000 curie Cobalt-60 gamma source (Gamma beam-650) for R and D and pilot-scale studies on food irradiation. The present status of food irradiation and its prospects of commercial introduction in Bangladesh are described.

Returns to Education in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Asadullah, Mohammad Niaz

2006-01-01

This paper reports labour market returns to education in Bangladesh using data from recent nationwide household survey. Returns are estimated separately for rural and urban samples, males, females and private-sector employees. Substantial heterogeneity in returns is observed; for example, estimates are higher for urban (than rural sample) and…

Genetic characterization of Vibrio vulnificus strains from tilapia aquaculture in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mahmud, Zahid H; Wright, Anita C; Mandal, Shankar C; Dai, Jianli; Jones, Melissa K; Hasan, Mahmud; Rashid, Mohammad H; Islam, Mohammad S; Johnson, Judith A; Gulig, Paul A; Morris, J Glenn; Ali, Afsar

2010-07-01

Outbreaks of Vibrio vulnificus wound infections in Israel were previously attributed to tilapia aquaculture. In this study, V. vulnificus was frequently isolated from coastal but not freshwater aquaculture in Bangladesh. Phylogenetic analyses showed that strains from Bangladesh differed remarkably from isolates commonly recovered elsewhere from fish or oysters and were more closely related to strains of clinical origin.

Search for bioactive natural products from medicinal plants of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmed, Firoj; Sadhu, Samir Kumar; Ishibashi, Masami

2010-10-01

In our continuous search for bioactive natural products from natural resources, we explored medicinal plants of Bangladesh, targeting cancer-related tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-signaling pathway, along with some other biological activities such as prostaglandin inhibitory activity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl free-radical-scavenging activity, and cell growth inhibitory activity. Along with this, we describe a short field study on Sundarbans mangrove forests, Bangladesh, in the review.

Micro-insurance in Bangladesh: Risk Protection for the Poor?

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Health services and modern medicines are out of reach for over one billion people globally. Micro-insurance for health is one method to address unmet health needs. This case study used a social exclusion perspective to assess the health and poverty impact of micro-insurance for health in Bangladesh and contrasts this with several micro-insurance systems for health offered in India. Micro-insurance for health in Bangladesh targeted towards the poor and the ultra-poor provides basic healthcare at an affordable rate whereas the Indian micro-insurance schemes for health have been implemented across larger populations and include high-cost and low-frequency events. Results of analysis of the existing literature showed that micro-insurance for health as currently offered in Bangladesh increased access to, and use of, basic health services among excluded populations but did not reduce the likelihood that essential health-related costs would be a catastrophic expense for a marginalized household. PMID:19761089

Analysis of Quality in Public and Private Universities in Bangladesh and USA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazumder, Quamrul H.

2014-01-01

To meet the growing need for increased capacity in higher education, the government of Bangladesh encouraged development of private universities in 1992. Currently, there are sixty private universities, thirty-four public universities and three international universities in Bangladesh. Although the increased number of universities has provided…

Different Context but Similar Cognitive Structures: Older Adults in Rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sternäng, Ola; Lövdén, Martin; Kabir, Zarina N; Hamadani, Jena D; Wahlin, Åke

2016-06-01

Most research in cognitive aging is based on literate participants from high-income and Western populations. The extent to which findings generalize to low-income and illiterate populations is unknown. The main aim was to examine the structure of between-person differences in cognitive functions among elderly from rural Bangladesh. We used data from the Poverty and Health in Aging (PHA) project in Bangladesh. The participants (n = 452) were in the age range 60-92 years. Structural equation modeling was used to estimate the fit of a five-factor model (episodic recall, episodic recognition, verbal fluency, semantic knowledge, processing speed) and to examine whether the model generalized across age, sex, and literacy. This study demonstrates that an established model of cognition is valid also among older persons from rural Bangladesh. The model demonstrated strong (or scalar) invariance for age, and partial strong invariance for sex and literacy. Semantic knowledge and processing speed showed weak (or metric) sex invariance, and semantic knowledge demonstrated also sensitivity to illiteracy. In general, women performed poorer on all abilities. The structure of individual cognitive differences established in Western populations also fits a population in rural Bangladesh well. This is an important prerequisite for comparisons of cognitive functioning (e.g., declarative memory) across cultures. It is also worth noting that absolute sex differences in cognitive performance among rural elderly in Bangladesh differ from those usually found in Western samples.

Floods in Bangladesh and Northeast India

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

For the past month heavy monsoon rains have led to massive flooding in eastern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, which have killed over 500 people and left millions homeless. This false-color image acquired on August 5, 2002, by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA's Terra spacecraft shows the extent of this flooding. In the upper right-hand corner of the image, the swollen Brahmaputra River runs east to west through the Indian state of Assam. Normally, the river and its tributaries would resemble a tangle of thin lines. Moving to the upper left-hand corner, flooding can be seen along the Ganges River in the state of Bihar, India. Both of these rivers flow into Bangladesh along with many others from India and Nepal. Heavy monsoon rains from all across the region have inundated the small country with water this year. Floodwaters have all but covered northeastern Bangladesh, which is usually dry. The Jamuna River, which runs down the center of the country off of the Brahmaputra River, now resembles a narrow lake. Millions of dollars in crops have been destroyed and thousands have been left stranded in their villages or on rafts. Forecasters are warning that flooding could get worse. In the false-color image, land is green, and water is black and dark brown. Clouds appear pink, red and white. Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

Considerations around the introduction of a cholera vaccine in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nelson, Christopher B; Mogasale, Vittal; Bari, Tajul Islam A; Clemens, John D

2014-12-12

Cholera is an endemic and epidemic disease in Bangladesh. On 3 March 2013, a meeting on cholera and cholera vaccination in Bangladesh was convened by the Foundation Mérieux jointly with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR, B). The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the investment case for cholera vaccination as a complimentary control and prevention strategy. The performance of a new low cost oral cholera vaccine, Shanchol™, used in recent trials in Bangladesh, was also reviewed in the context of a potential large-scale public-sector vaccination program. Findings showed the oral vaccine to be highly cost-effective when targeting ages 1-14 y, and cost-effective when targeting ages 1+y, in high-burden/high-risk districts. Other vaccination strategies targeting urban slums and rural areas without improved water were found to be cost-effective. Regardless of cost-effectiveness (value), the budget impact (affordability) will be an important determinant of which target population and vaccination strategy is selected. Most importantly, adequate vaccine supply for the proposed vaccination programs must be addressed in the context of global efforts to establish a cholera vaccine stockpile and supply other control and prevention efforts. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Online Radicalization: Bangladesh Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-09

rapidly in Bangladesh where peoples ’ ethnoreligious sentiment is very high .16 Hate speeches may have already triggered communal violence in the country...Understanding online radicalization will examine the potential power of the internet to influence people . The section on online radicalization...Ibid., 8-9. 73 Ibid., 30. 74 Fathali M Moghaddam, “The Staircase to Terrorism, a Psychological Exploration,” American Psychologist 60, no. 2 (2005

DNA barcoding of the vegetable leafminer Liriomyza sativae Blanchard (Diptera: Agromyzidae) in Bangladesh

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

DNA barcoding revealed the presence of the polyphagous leafminer pest Liriomyza sativae Blanchard in Bangladesh. DNA barcode sequences for mitochondrial COI were generated for Agromyzidae larvae, pupae and adults collected from field populations across Bangladesh. BLAST sequence similarity searches ...

Arsenic contaminated groundwater and its treatment options in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Jiang, Jia-Qian; Ashekuzzaman, S M; Jiang, Anlun; Sharifuzzaman, S M; Chowdhury, Sayedur Rahman

2012-12-20

Arsenic (As) causes health concerns due to its significant toxicity and worldwide presence in drinking water and groundwater. The major sources of As pollution may be natural process such as dissolution of As-containing minerals and anthropogenic activities such as percolation of water from mines, etc. The maximum contaminant level for total As in potable water has been established as 10 µg/L. Among the countries facing As contamination problems, Bangladesh is the most affected. Up to 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from drinking water. Therefore, it has become an urgent need to provide As-free drinking water in rural households throughout Bangladesh. This paper provides a comprehensive overview on the recent data on arsenic contamination status, its sources and reasons of mobilization and the exposure pathways in Bangladesh. Very little literature has focused on the removal of As from groundwaters in developing countries and thus this paper aims to review the As removal technologies and be a useful resource for researchers or policy makers to help identify and investigate useful treatment options. While a number of technological developments in arsenic removal have taken place, we must consider variations in sources and quality characteristics of As polluted water and differences in the socio-economic and literacy conditions of people, and then aim at improving effectiveness in arsenic removal, reducing the cost of the system, making the technology user friendly, overcoming maintenance problems and resolving sludge management issues.

Arsenic Contaminated Groundwater and Its Treatment Options in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Jiang, Jia-Qian; Ashekuzzaman, S. M.; Jiang, Anlun; Sharifuzzaman, S. M.; Chowdhury, Sayedur Rahman

2012-01-01

Arsenic (As) causes health concerns due to its significant toxicity and worldwide presence in drinking water and groundwater. The major sources of As pollution may be natural process such as dissolution of As-containing minerals and anthropogenic activities such as percolation of water from mines, etc. The maximum contaminant level for total As in potable water has been established as 10 µg/L. Among the countries facing As contamination problems, Bangladesh is the most affected. Up to 77 million people in Bangladesh have been exposed to toxic levels of arsenic from drinking water. Therefore, it has become an urgent need to provide As-free drinking water in rural households throughout Bangladesh. This paper provides a comprehensive overview on the recent data on arsenic contamination status, its sources and reasons of mobilization and the exposure pathways in Bangladesh. Very little literature has focused on the removal of As from groundwaters in developing countries and thus this paper aims to review the As removal technologies and be a useful resource for researchers or policy makers to help identify and investigate useful treatment options. While a number of technological developments in arsenic removal have taken place, we must consider variations in sources and quality characteristics of As polluted water and differences in the socio-economic and literacy conditions of people, and then aim at improving effectiveness in arsenic removal, reducing the cost of the system, making the technology user friendly, overcoming maintenance problems and resolving sludge management issues. PMID:23343979

Employment of Active Learning at HEIs in Bangladesh to Improve Education Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Faieza

2016-01-01

In recent years, education quality and quality assessment have received a great deal of attention at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh. Most of the HEIs in Bangladesh face severe resource constraints and find it difficult to improve education quality by improving inputs, such as better infrastructure and modernized classroom…

Knowledge, attitudes and practice of diabetes in rural Bangladesh: the Bangladesh Population based Diabetes and Eye Study (BPDES).

PubMed

Islam, Fakir M Amirul; Chakrabarti, Rahul; Dirani, Mohamed; Islam, M Tauhidul; Ormsby, Gail; Wahab, Mohamed; Critchley, Christine; Finger, Robert P

2014-01-01

To assess the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice (KAP) amongst the general community regarding type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in rural Bangladesh. Data was collected using cluster random sampling from 3104 adults residing in a rural district in Bangladesh. Participants underwent a KAP questionnaire survey regarding assessing diabetes, socio-demographic and medical history. Descriptive, Chi-square and regression analyses were performed. Participants were aged between 30 and 89 years (M = 51, SD= 11.8) and 65.5% were female. The prevalence of diabetes was found to be 8.3%. The majority (93%) reported to have heard of diabetes, yet only 4% knew what a glucose tolerance test was. Only 50% reported that they knew physical inactivity was a risk factor. Age, gender, level of education and socio-economic status (SES) were significantly associated with KAP. A lower proportion (41%) of older participants (aged ≥65 years) reported that they knew that dietary modifications assist in diabetes control compared to those aged less than 35 years (69%), p<0.001. Males (β = 0.393, 95% CI = 0.142-0.643), and any level of education compared to no schooling (β = 0.726, 95% CI = 0.596, 0.857) reported significantly more knowledge, after multivariate adjustments for covariates. Participants aged under 35 years, (odds ratio (OR)= 1.73, 95% CI = 1.22-2.43) had significantly higher positive attitudes towards treatments of diabetes compared to those aged ≥65 years. Of the 99 people with known diabetes, more than 50% (n = 52) never had their blood sugar levels checked since diagnosis. Knowledge of diabetes and its risk factors is very limited in rural Bangladesh, even in persons diagnosed with type 2 DM. The development of public health programmes to increase knowledge of diabetes and its complications is required to assist people living in rural Bangladesh to control and management of diabetes.

Devario in Bangladesh: Species diversity, sibling species, and introgression within danionin cyprinids (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Danioninae).

PubMed

Kullander, Sven O; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Norén, Michael; Mollah, Abdur Rob

2017-01-01

Four species of Devario are recorded from Bangladesh: D. aequipinnatus, D. anomalus, D. coxi, new species, and D. devario. Devario aequipinnatus has a wide distribution in northern India and Bangladesh. Devario coxi, from southeastern Bangladesh near Cox's Bazar, differs from D. aequipinnatus in mtDNA (COI, p-distance 1.8%), colouration, proportional measurements, and meristics. The minor morphological differences and low frequency of overlapping meristics suggest relatively recent separation of D. coxi from other D. aequipinnatus. Devario anomalus occurs only in southeastern Bangladesh and is here reported from localities in addition to the type locality. It differs from the similar D. xyrops in adjacent Myanmar by slender body shape and by 2.3% p-distance in the COI gene. Specimens of D. anomalus from the Sangu River were found to have the mitochondrial genome of D. aequipinnatus from Bangladesh, but agree with other D. anomalus in the nuclear RAG1 gene. Devario devario has a wide distribution on the Indian Peninsula and border regions; in Bangladesh it is restricted in distribution to the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna drainages. Reports of D. assamensis and D. malabaricus from Bangladesh are misidentifications. Perilampus ostreographus M'Clelland, 1839, is tentatively synonymized with D. aequipinnatus. Phylogenetic analysis of 14 species of striped devarios based on the COI gene results in a polytomy with four unresolved clades. Devario deruptotalea from the Chindwin basin is the sister group of D. aequipinnatus+D. coxi. Devario devario is the sistergroup of D. xyrops+D. anomalus.

Determinant factors of tobacco use among ever-married men in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Rahman, Md Shafiur; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Islam, Md Rafiqul; Rahman, Md Mizanur; Hoque, M Nazrul; Alam, Md Shamsher

2015-01-01

Background The burden of tobacco use is shifting from developed to developing countries. This study aimed to explore the different types of tobacco use, and to identify the determinant factors associated with the tobacco use among ever-married men in Bangladesh. Data and methods Data of 3,771 ever-married men, 15–54 years of age were extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2007. Prevalence rate, chi-square (χ2) test, and binary logistic regression analysis were used as the statistical tools to analyze the data. Results Tobacco use through smoking (58.68%) was found to be higher than that of chewing (21.63%) among men, which was significantly more prevalent among the poorest, less educated, and businessmen. In bivariate analysis, all the socioeconomic factors were found significantly associated with tobacco use; while in multivariate analysis, age, education, wealth index, and occupation were identified as the significant predictors. Conclusion Tobacco use was found to be remarkably common among males in Bangladesh. The high prevalence of tobacco use suggests that there is an urgent need for developing intervention plans to address this major public health problem in Bangladesh. PMID:25999762

Teacher Perceptions of Inquiry and STEM Education in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahidullah, Kazi K.

This dissertation reports lower secondary science teachers perceptions of current practice in Dhaka, Bangladesh concerning inquiry and STEM Education in order to establish a baseline of data for reform of science education in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been trying to incorporate inquiry-based science curricula since the 1970s. Over time, the science curricula also aligned with different international science education movements such as Science for All, Scientific Literacy, Science, Technology, and Society. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is the most recent science education movement in international science education. This study explored current practices and perceptions of lower secondary science teachers in order to establish a baseline of current practice so that future reform recommendations may be pursued and recommendations made for Bangladesh to overcome the inquiry-based challenges and to incorporate new STEM-based science education trends happening in the US and throughout the world. The study explored science teachers perceptions and readiness to transform their science classrooms based on self-reported survey. The survey utilized Likert-type scale with range 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree) among four hundred lower secondary science teachers, teacher training college faculty, and university faculty. The data is presented in four different categories: curriculum, instruction, assessment, and professional development. Results indicated that the participants understand and practice a certain level of inquiry in their science classrooms, though they do not have adequate professional development. Participants also stated that they do not have sufficient instructional materials and the curriculum is not articulated enough to support inquiry. On the other hand, the participants reported that they understand and practice a certain degree of inquiry and STEM-based science education, but they also state that the

ELECTROCHEMICAL ARSENIC REMEDIATION IN RURAL BANGLADESH

EPA Science Inventory

In Year 1, we built a bench-scale continuous flow prototype (dubbed “Sushi” for its sushi-like electrode roll) and completed preliminary field trials in Bangladesh. We were also able to leverage additional funding to complete preliminary field trials in arsenic-...

Exploring standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index for drought assessment in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Miah, Md Giashuddin; Abdullah, Hasan Muhammad; Jeong, Changyoon

2017-10-09

Drought is a critical issue, and it has a pressing, negative impact on agriculture, ecosystems, livelihoods, food security, and sustainability. The problem has been studied globally, but its regional or even local dimension is sometimes overlooked. Local-level drought assessment is necessary for developing adaptation and mitigation strategies for that particular region. Keeping this in understanding, an attempt was made to create a detailed assessment of drought characteristics at the local scale in Bangladesh. Standardized precipitation evapotranspiration (SPEI) is a new drought index that mainly considers the rainfall and evapotranspiration data set. Globally, SPEI has become a useful drought index, but its local scale application is not common. SPEI base (0.5° grid data) for 110 years (1901-2011) was utilized to overcome the lack of long-term climate data in Bangladesh. Available weather data (1955-2011) from Bangladesh Meteorology Department (BMD) were analyzed to calculate SPEI weather station using the SPEI calculator. The drivers for climate change-induced droughts were characterized by residual temperature and residual rainfall data from different BMD stations. Grid data (SPEI base ) of 26 stations of BMD were used for drought mapping. The findings revealed that the frequency and intensity of drought are higher in the northwestern part of the country which makes it vulnerable to both extreme and severe droughts. Based on the results, the SPEI-based drought intensity and frequency analyses were carried out, emphasizing Rangpur (northwest region) as a hot spot, to get an insight of drought assessment in Bangladesh. The findings of this study revealed that SPEI could be a valuable tool to understand the evolution and evaluation of the drought induced by climate change in the country. The study also justified the immediate need for drought risk reduction strategies that should lead to relevant policy formulations and agricultural innovations for developing

Inequality in Disability in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Tareque, Md. Ismail; Begum, Sharifa; Saito, Yasuhiko

2014-01-01

Objective To investigate inequality in disability in Bangladesh. Methods The study used both household level and individual level data from a large nationally representative data set, Bangladesh’s Household Income and Expenditure Survey - 2010. Principal component analysis was used to construct a wealth index based on household assets from household level data. Then, using data from 49,809 individuals aged 5 years and over, chi-square tests and logistic regression were performed to test the association between wealth level and disability. Findings Women and older people are significantly more likely to report having disabilities than men and younger people. For middle and rich families, respectively, there is a 14 percent lower likelihood of reporting disabilities than for poor families. Changes in the probability of having disabilities are linear with increasing wealth. In addition, the study identifies some significant factors affecting disability, namely, age, sex, education, marital status, and place of residence including divisional differences. Conclusion In Bangladesh, worse health among the poor argues for policies prioritizing this group while at the same time giving special attention to women and the elderly. PMID:25075513

Impact of Teachers' Professional Development on School Improvement--An Analysis at Bangladesh Standpoint

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoque, Kazi Enamul; Alam, Gazi Mahabubul; Abdullah, Abdul Ghani Kanesean

2011-01-01

This study seeks to describe the teachers' professional development activities in Bangladesh and explores the hypotheses about the relationship between teachers' traditional professional development activities and school improvement. Data from a representative sample of City secondary schools from Bangladesh (n = 127) were gathered through…

Outdoor Primary Education in Bangladesh. Experiments and Innovations in Education No. 40.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choudhury, M. Khashruzzaman; Obaidullah, A. K. M.

A brief description of the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Outdoor Primary Education project in Bangladesh is presented in this booklet. A description of the development of the current primary education system in Bangladesh along with a description of the reasons that led to the development of the project are briefly provided in…

Contraceptive awareness among men in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Mohammad Amirul; Padmadas, Sabu S; Smith, Peter W F

2006-04-01

A considerable gap exists between contraceptive awareness and use. Traditional approaches to measuring awareness are inadequate to properly understand the linkages between awareness and use. The objective of this study was to examine the degree of men's modern contraceptive awareness in Bangladesh and the associated determinants and further testing of a hypothesis that current contraceptive use confers a high degree of method awareness. This study used the couple data set from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (1999-2000). A two-level, multinomial logistic regression was used with the degree of contraceptive awareness as the dependent variable. The degree of awareness was measured by the reported number of modern contraceptive methods known among men aged 15-59 years. Men's responses on method awareness were classified according to those reported spontaneously and probed. Nearly 100% of the study participants reported having heard of at least one method and about half reported awareness of at least eight different methods of contraception. Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that older and educated men were more likely to have reported a high degree of awareness. The findings confirmed our hypothesis that current contraceptive use is likely to confer a high degree of modern method awareness among men (p<0.001), after controlling for other important characteristics. Men who had a low degree of contraceptive awareness seem not properly informed of the wide range of contraceptive options. It is imperative that family planning intervention strategies in Bangladesh should focus on the degree and functional knowledge of contraceptive methods to improve the uptake of especially male-based modern methods.

Serological Evidence of Coxiella burnetii Infection in Cattle and Goats in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Haider, Najmul; Rahman, Md Shafiqur; Khan, Salah Uddin; Mikolon, Andrea; Osmani, Muzaffor G; Gurley, Emily S; Shanta, Ireen Sultana; Paul, Suman Kumer; Macfarlane-Berry, Laura; Islam, Ariful; Islam, Ausraful; Desmond, James; Epstein, Jonathan H; Priestley, Rachael A; Kersh, Gilbert J; Rahman, Mohammed Ziaur; Daszak, Peter; Luby, Stephen P; Massung, Robert F; Zeidner, Nord

2015-06-01

We tested 1149 ruminant sera conveniently collected from three districts of Bangladesh to identify the serological evidence of Coxiella burnetii infection in cattle and goats by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We found that 0.7% (8/1149) of ruminants had detectable immunoglobulin G for C. burnetii: 0.65% (4/620) in cattle and 0.76% (4/529) in goats. A sub-set of ruminant samples was retested and confirmed by immunofluorescence assay (18/112). Although we cannot rule out false-positive reactions, our study suggests the presence of C. burnetii in cattle and goats in Bangladesh. Further studies are required to estimate disease burden at the population level and identify risk factors for Q fever in ruminants in Bangladesh.

Changing profile of rotavirus genotypes in Bangladesh, 2006–2012

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Rotavirus is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children worldwide including Bangladesh. Unlike what was seen in high-income countries, the licensed rotavirus vaccines did not show high efficacy in Bangladeshi trials. We assessed rotavirus prevalence and genotypes in Bangladesh over six-year period to provide baseline information on the rotavirus burden and changing profile in the country. Methods This study was conducted from June 2006 to May 2012 in Matlab, Bangladesh. Group A rotaviruses were detected in stools collected from diarrhea patients by ELISA and genotyped using multiplex reverse transcription PCR followed by nucleotide sequencing. Results Of the 9678 stool samples, 20.3% were positive for rotavirus. The most predominant genotype was G1P[8] (22.4%), followed by G9P[8] (20.8%), G2P[4] (16.9%) and G12P[8] (10.4%). Mixed infections were detected in 14.2% of the samples. Emergence of an unusual strain, G9P[4] was documented during 2011–12. Several amino acid mismatches in the antigenic epitopes of VP7 and VP4 between Bangladeshi and the vaccine strains were identified. Conclusions Our study provides important information on rotavirus genotypes that should be considered for the selection and introduction of rotavirus vaccines in Bangladesh. PMID:23855423

Knowledge about tuberculosis transmission among ever-married women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khandoker, A; Khan, M M H; Krämer, A; Mori, M

2011-03-01

To identify the level of knowledge about TB transmission among ever-married women aged 15-49 years (n = 10 996) in Bangladesh, one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden countries. We analysed data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2007. Covariate factors included age, district, urban/rural residence, marital status, education, husband's education and access to the media (television, radio, newspaper/magazine). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to find the correlates of correct knowledge of TB transmission. Knowledge about TB transmission was correctly reported by approximately 7.0% of women, and was significantly associated with education, district and access to media using multinomial logistic regression. The likelihood of correct knowledge was 3.5 times (OR 3.5, 95%CI 2.5-4.9) higher among women with ≥11 years of education than among women with no/primary education. A significantly higher OR for correct knowledge of TB transmission (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.9) was found among women who watched television almost every day compared to women who watched less than once a week. Correct knowledge about TB transmission was very low among married women in Bangladesh. Factors such as education and access to media, especially television, could play an important role in improving knowledge about TB transmission among women in Bangladesh.

Rural development and family planning behavior in Bangladesh Villages.

PubMed

Alauddin, M

1979-01-01

Variarion in knowledge and usage of contraceptive methods was examined across Bangladesh villages. It was hypothesized that the variation can be explained by 3 sets of factors measured at the village level: development programs, family planning program efforts, and given environmental and socioeconomic conditions. The data were drawn from the Bangladesh Fertility Survey and the 1974 Bangladesh Population Census. The 3 sets of factors taken together explained a greater proportion of the variance in knowledge and contraceptive usage than each of the sets taken either singly or in paired combination. Knowledge of clinical contraceptive methods was found to be affected more by development programs than by either family planning or environmental and socioeconomic conditions. Despite the fact that both development and family planning variables have independent and about equal effects on ever use of contraception, each of them separately is not likely to produce as much contraceptive usage as would both of them jointly. In terms of policy, if both development and family planning programs are provided to the villages, the effect on fertility may be maximized.

Bangladesh: Summary Report. Financing Primary and Secondary Education in Bangladesh. Asia-South Pacific Education Watch

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Qazi Kholiquzzaman

2007-01-01

The main objective of the study is to gain an understanding on educational expenditure at primary and secondary levels in Bangladesh. In estimating educational expenditure by source, it has been sought to determine: (1) sources of financing of primary and secondary education; (2) rural-urban variation; (3) variation between boys and girls; (4)…

Population pressure and agricultural productivity in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chaudhury, R H

1983-01-01

The relationship between population pressure or density and agricultural productivity is examined by analyzing the changes in the land-man ratio and the changes in the level of land yield in the 17 districts of Bangladesh from 1961-64 and 1974-77. The earlier years were pre-Green Revolution, whereas in the later years new technology had been introduced in some parts of the country. Net sown area, value of total agricultural output, and number of male agricultural workers were the main variables. For the country as a whole, agricultural output grew by 1.2%/year during 1961-64 to 1974-77, while the number of male agricultural workers grew at 1.5%/year. The major source of agricultural growth during the 1960s was found to be increased land-yield associated with a higher ratio of labor to land. The findings imply that a more intensified pattern of land use, resulting in both higher yield and higher labor input/unit of land, is the main source of growth of output and employment in agriculture. There is very little scope for extending the arable area in Bangladesh; increased production must come from multiple cropping, especially through expansion of irrigation and drainage, and from increases in per acre yields, principly through adoption of high yield variants, which explained 87% of the variation in output per acre during the 1970s. Regional variation in output was also associated with variation in cropping intensity and proportion of land given to high yield variants. There is considerable room for modernizing agricultural technology in Bangladesh: in 1975-76 less than 9% of total crop land was irrigated and only 12% of total acreage was under high yield variants. The adoption of new food-grain technology and increased use of high yield variants in Bangladesh's predominantly subsistence-based agriculture would require far-reaching institutional and organizational changes and more capital. Without effective population control, expansion of area under high yield

Urbanization in Bangladesh: some contemporary observations.

PubMed

Laskar, S I

1996-01-01

The author analyzes "levels and trends of urbanization in Bangladesh. It also makes an attempt to elucidate the implications of urbanization.... The...analysis corroborates that although the overall level of urbanization remained low, the sheer magnitude of total urban population has become formidable." excerpt

Women's Struggle against Tradition in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultan, Mainus

1994-01-01

In rural Bangladesh, women's participation in a literacy program was opposed by Mullahs for several reasons: content encouraged decision making, monopoly of the Qur'anic schools was threatened, Mullahs' leadership and spiritual roles were potentially subverted, and it conflicted with the practice of polygamy. (SK)

Devario in Bangladesh: Species diversity, sibling species, and introgression within danionin cyprinids (Teleostei: Cyprinidae: Danioninae)

PubMed Central

Rahman, Md. Mizanur; Norén, Michael; Mollah, Abdur Rob

2017-01-01

Four species of Devario are recorded from Bangladesh: D. aequipinnatus, D. anomalus, D. coxi, new species, and D. devario. Devario aequipinnatus has a wide distribution in northern India and Bangladesh. Devario coxi, from southeastern Bangladesh near Cox’s Bazar, differs from D. aequipinnatus in mtDNA (COI, p-distance 1.8%), colouration, proportional measurements, and meristics. The minor morphological differences and low frequency of overlapping meristics suggest relatively recent separation of D. coxi from other D. aequipinnatus. Devario anomalus occurs only in southeastern Bangladesh and is here reported from localities in addition to the type locality. It differs from the similar D. xyrops in adjacent Myanmar by slender body shape and by 2.3% p-distance in the COI gene. Specimens of D. anomalus from the Sangu River were found to have the mitochondrial genome of D. aequipinnatus from Bangladesh, but agree with other D. anomalus in the nuclear RAG1 gene. Devario devario has a wide distribution on the Indian Peninsula and border regions; in Bangladesh it is restricted in distribution to the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Meghna drainages. Reports of D. assamensis and D. malabaricus from Bangladesh are misidentifications. Perilampus ostreographus M’Clelland, 1839, is tentatively synonymized with D. aequipinnatus. Phylogenetic analysis of 14 species of striped devarios based on the COI gene results in a polytomy with four unresolved clades. Devario deruptotalea from the Chindwin basin is the sister group of D. aequipinnatus+D. coxi. Devario devario is the sistergroup of D. xyrops+D. anomalus. PMID:29166410

Spatial and temporal analysis of a 17-year lightning climatology over Bangladesh with LIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewan, Ashraf; Ongee, Emmanuel T.; Rahman, Md. Masudur; Mahmood, Rezaul; Yamane, Yusuke

2017-10-01

Using NASA's TRMM Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) data from 1998 to 2014, this paper presents a 17-year lightning climatology of Bangladesh, at 0.5° × 0.5° spatial resolution. Diurnal, seasonal, monthly and annual variations in the occurrence of lightning flashes were explored. The diurnal regime of lightning is dominated by afternoon/evening events. Overall, peak lightning activity occurs in the early morning (0200 LST) and evening (1900 LST). The distribution of lightning flash counts by season over Bangladesh landmass is as follows: pre-monsoon (69.2%), monsoon (24.1%), post-monsoon (4.6%) and winter (2.1%). Flash rate density (FRD) hotspots were primarily located in the north and north-eastern parts of Bangladesh, with a maximum of 72 fl km-2 year-1. Spatially, the distribution of FRD increases from the Bay of Bengal in the south to relatively higher elevations (of the Himalayan foothills) in the north. A spatial shift in FRD hotspots occurs with change in season. For example, in monsoon season, hotspots of lightning activity move in a south-westerly direction from their pre-monsoon location (i.e. north-eastern Bangladesh) towards West Bengal in India. South and south-eastern parts of Bangladesh experience high lightning activity during post-monsoon season due to regional orographic lifting and low-pressure systems (i.e. cyclone) in the Bay of Bengal. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study focused on LIS-based lightning climatology over Bangladesh. This baseline study, therefore, is an essential first step towards effective management of lightning-related hazards in Bangladesh.

Identifying factors influencing contraceptive use in Bangladesh: evidence from BDHS 2014 data.

PubMed

Hossain, M B; Khan, M H R; Ababneh, F; Shaw, J E H

2018-01-30

Birth control is the conscious control of the birth rate by methods which temporarily prevent conception by interfering with the normal process of ovulation, fertilization, and implantation. High contraceptive prevalence rate is always expected for controlling births for those countries that are experiencing high population growth rate. The factors that influence contraceptive prevalence are also important to know for policy implication purposes in Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the socio-economic, demographic and others key factors that influence the use of contraception in Bangladesh. The contraception data are extracted from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) data which were collected by using a two stage stratified random sampling technique that is a source of nested variability. The nested sources of variability must be incorporated in the model using random effects in order to model the actual parameter effects on contraceptive prevalence. A mixed effect logistic regression model has been implemented for the binary contraceptive data, where parameters are estimated through generalized estimating equation by assuming exchangeable correlation structure to explore and identify the factors that truly affect the use of contraception in Bangladesh. The prevalence of contraception use by currently married 15-49 years aged women or their husbands is 62.4%. Our study finds that administrative division, place of residence, religion, number of household members, woman's age, occupation, body mass index, breastfeeding practice, husband's education, wish for children, living status with wife, sexual activity in past year, women amenorrheic status, abstaining status, number of children born in last five years and total children ever died were significantly associated with contraception use in Bangladesh. The odds of women experiencing the outcome of interest are not independent due to the nested structure of the data. As a result, a mixed

Pediatric surgery in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bagwell, C E; Shandling, B

1986-09-01

Bangladesh, although a small country of only 55,000 square miles, is the world's eighth most populous nation, and its 90 million inhabitants occupy a land of harsh economic conditions. One half of this dense population is children, 90% of whom suffer from parasitic infestations, 10% are affected with neonatal tetanus, and one half are severely malnourished. Health care resources are scarce with one physician and hospital bed for about every 10,000 persons. A 1-month stay in Bangladesh at the Dhaka Shishu Hospital, made possible by the Canadian Association of Paediatric Surgeons, afforded an invaluable opportunity to be involved in Pediatric Surgery in such a setting. During the month, over 40 major pediatric surgical procedures were performed, including sequestrectomy, drainage of parietal wall abscess, and resection of massive neoplasms. Many unusual pathologic conditions, not commonly seen in Western countries, were encountered including canker otis, tuberculous ileitis, and ascaris-induced small bowel obstruction. In the setting of widespread malnutrition and limited diagnostic aids, appropriate surgical treatment remains crucial in many serious childhood conditions. Awareness of some of the more unusual infections and parasites seen in Third World nations is of great importance to Western surgeons due to increased travel and immigration and for a perspective on diseases rarely seen in more affluent countries.

Coastal Vulnerability Due to Sea-level Rise Hazard in the Bangladesh Delta

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shum, Ck; Ballu, Valérie; Calmant, Stéphane; Duan, Jianbin; Guo, Junyi; Hossain, Fasial; Jenkins, Craig; Haque Khan, Zahirul; Kim, Jinwoo; Kuhn, Michael; Kusche, Jürgen; Papa, Fabrice; Tseng, Kuohsin; Wan, Junkun

2014-05-01

Approximately half of the world's population or 3.2 billion people lives within 200 km of coastlines and many of them in the world's deltaic plains. Sea-level rise, widely recognized as one of consequences resulting from anthropogenic climate change, has induced substantial coastal vulnerability globally and in particular, in the deltaic regions, such as coastal Bangladesh, and Yangtze Delta. Bangladesh, a low-lying, one of the most densely populated countries in the world located at the Bay of Bengal, is prone to transboundary monsoonal flooding, potentially aggravated by more frequent and intensified cyclones resulting from anthropogenic climate change. Sea-level rise, along with tectonic, sediment load and groundwater extraction induced land uplift/subsidence, have exacerbated Bangladesh's coastal vulnerability. Here we describe the physical science component of the integrated approach based on both physical and social sciences to address the adaption and potential mitigation of coastal Bangladesh vulnerability. The objective is to quantify the estimates of spatial varying sea-level trend separating the vertical motion of the coastal regions using geodetic and remote-sensing measurements (tide gauges, 1950-current; satellite altimetry, 1992-present, GRACE, 2003-present, Landsat/MODIS), reconstructed sea-level trends (1950-current), and GPS and InSAR observed land subsidence. Our goal is to conduct physically based robust projection of relative sea-level change at the end of the 21st century for the Bangladesh Delta to enable quantitative measures of social science based adaption and possible mitigation.

Use of fault striations and dislocation models to infer tectonic shear stress during the 1995 Hyogo-Ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spudich, P.; Guatteri, Mariagiovanna; Otsuki, K.; Minagawa, J.

1998-01-01

Dislocation models of the 1995 Hyogo-ken Nanbu (Kobe) earthquake derived by Yoshida et al. (1996) show substantial changes in direction of slip with time at specific points on the Nojima and Rokko fault systems, as do striations we observed on exposures of the Nojima fault surface on Awaji Island. Spudich (1992) showed that the initial stress, that is, the shear traction on the fault before the earthquake origin time, can be derived at points on the fault where the slip rake rotates with time if slip velocity and stress change are known at these points. From Yoshida's slip model, we calculated dynamic stress changes on the ruptured fault surfaces. To estimate errors, we compared the slip velocities and dynamic stress changes of several published models of the earthquake. The differences between these models had an exponential distribution, not gaussian. We developed a Bayesian method to estimate the probability density function (PDF) of initial stress from the striations and from Yoshida's slip model. Striations near Toshima and Hirabayashi give initial stresses of about 13 and 7 MPa, respectively. We obtained initial stresses of about 7 to 17 MPa at depths of 2 to 10 km on a subset of points on the Nojima and Rokko fault systems. Our initial stresses and coseismic stress changes agree well with postearthquake stresses measured by hydrofracturing in deep boreholes near Hirabayashi and Ogura on Awaji Island. Our results indicate that the Nojima fault slipped at very low shear stress, and fractional stress drop was complete near the surface and about 32% below depths of 2 km. Our results at depth depend on the accuracy of the rake rotations in Yoshida's model, which are probably correct on the Nojima fault but debatable on the Rokko fault. Our results imply that curved or cross-cutting fault striations can be formed in a single earthquake, contradicting a common assumption of structural geology.

Climate change and soil salinity: The case of coastal Bangladesh.

PubMed

Dasgupta, Susmita; Hossain, Md Moqbul; Huq, Mainul; Wheeler, David

2015-12-01

This paper estimates location-specific soil salinity in coastal Bangladesh for 2050. The analysis was conducted in two stages: First, changes in soil salinity for the period 2001-2009 were assessed using information recorded at 41 soil monitoring stations by the Soil Research Development Institute. Using these data, a spatial econometric model was estimated linking soil salinity with the salinity of nearby rivers, land elevation, temperature, and rainfall. Second, future soil salinity for 69 coastal sub-districts was projected from climate-induced changes in river salinity and projections of rainfall and temperature based on time trends for 20 Bangladesh Meteorological Department weather stations in the coastal region. The findings indicate that climate change poses a major soil salinization risk in coastal Bangladesh. Across 41 monitoring stations, the annual median projected change in soil salinity is 39 % by 2050. Above the median, 25 % of all stations have projected changes of 51 % or higher.

The Diffusion of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh: Lessons Learned about Alleviating Rural Poverty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Auwal, Mohammad A.; Singhal, Arvind

1992-01-01

Discusses rural poverty in Bangladesh and describes the creation of the Grameen Bank, which combines business with social engineering. The rapid diffusion of the bank both within and outside Bangladesh is described; interpersonal strategies used in communicating its programs, especially to women, are explained; and the socioeconomic impact in…

Engineering education in Bangladesh - an indicator of economic development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, Harun; Alam, Firoz

2012-05-01

Developing nations including Bangladesh are significantly lagging behind the millennium development target due to the lack of science, technology and engineering education. Bangladesh as a least developing country has only 44 engineers per million people. Its technological education and gross domestic product growth are not collinear. Although limited progress was made in humanities, basic sciences, agriculture and medical sciences, a vast gap is left in technical and engineering education. This paper describes the present condition of engineering education in the country and explores ways to improve engineering education in order to meet the national as well as global skills demand.

Controlling Nipah virus encephalitis in Bangladesh: Policy options.

PubMed

Dhillon, Jasmine; Banerjee, Arinjay

2015-08-01

Nipah virus (NiV) encephalitis is endemic in Bangladesh, with yearly seasonal outbreaks occurring since 2003. NiV has a notable case fatality rate, 75-100 per cent depending on the strain. In Bangladesh, primary transmission to humans is believed to be because of consumption of bat-contaminated date palm sap (DPS). Both the disease and the virus have been investigated extensively, however efforts to implement preventive strategies have met social and cultural challenges. Here we present a variety of community approaches to control the spread of Nipah encephalitis, along with advantages and disadvantages of each. This information may be useful to health workers and policymakers in potential NiV outbreak areas in Southeast Asia.

Site Suitability Analysis for Dissemination of Salt-tolerant Rice Varieties in Southern Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinha, D. D.; Singh, A. N.; Singh, U. S.

2014-11-01

Bangladesh is a country of 14.4 million ha geographical area and has a population density of more than 1100 persons per sq. km. Rice is the staple food crop, growing on about 72 % of the total cultivated land and continues to be the most important crop for food security of the country. A project "Sustainable Rice Seed Production and Delivery Systems for Southern Bangladesh" has been executed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in twenty southern districts of Bangladesh. These districts grow rice in about 2.9 million ha out of the country's total rice area of 11.3 million ha. The project aims at contributing to the Government of Bangladesh's efforts in improving national and household food security through enhanced and sustained productivity by using salinity-, submergence- and drought- tolerant and high yielding rice varieties. Out of the 20 project districts, 12 coastal districts are affected by the problem of soil salinity. The salt-affected area in Bangladesh has increased from about 0.83 million ha in 1973 to 1.02 million ha in 2000, and 1.05 million ha in 2009 due to the influence of cyclonic storms like "Sidr", "Laila" and others, leading to salt water intrusion in croplands. Three salinity-tolerant rice varieties have recently been bred by IRRI and field tested and released by the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) and Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA). These varieties are BRRI dhan- 47 and Bina dhan-8 and - 10. However, they can tolerate soil salinity level up to EC 8-10 dSm-1, whereas the EC of soils in several areas are much higher. Therefore, a large scale dissemination of these varieties can be done only when a site suitability analysis of the area is carried out. The present study was taken up with the objective of preparing the site suitability of the salt-tolerant varieties for the salinity-affected districts of southern Bangladesh. Soil salinity map prepared by Soil Resources Development Institute of

Physiotherapy in Bangladesh: Inequality Begets Inequality.

PubMed

Mamin, Firoz Ahmed; Hayes, Rieke

2018-01-01

The demand for health services in developing countries often outweighs provision. This article describes the present condition of physiotherapy in Bangladesh. Physiotherapy is not recognized as a profession by the government. There is no single registration and regulation body. The health-related and economic benefits of physiotherapy are not felt by the majority of Bangladeshi citizens. The burden of disease is changing, and Bangladesh needs a profession that specializes in physical rehabilitation to face these challenges. This article outlines the benefits to patients and the wider economy from a broad physiotherapy regime for all Bangladeshi citizens. It describes the many barriers the profession faces. Physiotherapy is efficacious in many post-trauma situations and long-term conditions. Economic evidence supports the provision physiotherapy as a cost-effective treatment which should be considered as part of the provision of a universal health-care service. Official recognition of the protected "physiotherapist" title and a single registration and regulation agency are recommended.

Detecting well casing leaks in Bangladesh using a salt spiking method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stahl, M.O.; Ong, J.B.; Harvey, C.F.; Johnson, C.D.; Badruzzaman, A.B.M.; Tarek, M.H.; VanGeen, A.; Anderson, J.A.; Lane, J.W.

2014-01-01

We apply fluid-replacement logging in arsenic-contaminated regions of Bangladesh using a low-cost, down-well fluid conductivity logging tool to detect leaks in the cased section of wells. The fluid-conductivity tool is designed for the developing world: it is lightweight and easily transportable, operable by one person, and can be built for minimal cost. The fluid-replacement test identifies leaking casing by comparison of fluid conductivity logs collected before and after spiking the wellbore with a sodium chloride tracer. Here, we present results of fluid-replacement logging tests from both leaking and non-leaking casing from wells in Araihazar and Munshiganj, Bangladesh, and demonstrate that the low-cost tool produces measurements comparable to those obtained with a standard geophysical logging tool. Finally, we suggest well testing procedures and approaches for preventing casing leaks in Bangladesh and other developing countries.

Epidemiology of Burns in Rural Bangladesh: An Update.

PubMed

He, Siran; Alonge, Olakunle; Agrawal, Priyanka; Sharmin, Shumona; Islam, Irteja; Mashreky, Saidur Rahman; Arifeen, Shams El

2017-04-05

Each year, approximately 265,000 deaths occur due to burns on a global scale. In Bangladesh, around 173,000 children under 18 sustain a burn injury. Since most epidemiological studies on burn injuries in low and middle-income countries are based on small-scale surveys or hospital records, this study aims to derive burn mortality and morbidity measures and risk factors at a population level in Bangladesh. A household survey was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh in 2013 to assess injury outcomes. Burn injuries were one of the external causes of injury. Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors were described using descriptive as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The overall mortality and morbidity rates were 2 deaths and 528 injuries per 100,000 populations. Females had a higher burn rate. More than 50% of injuries were seen in adults 25 to 64 years of age. Most injuries occurred in the kitchen while preparing food. 88% of all burns occurred due to flame. Children 1 to 4 years of age were four times more likely to sustain burn injuries as compared to infants. Age-targeted interventions, awareness of first aid protocols, and improvement of acute care management would be potential leads to curb death and disability due to burn injuries.

Predictors of maternal and child double burden of malnutrition in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh.

PubMed

Oddo, Vanessa M; Rah, Jee H; Semba, Richard D; Sun, Kai; Akhter, Nasima; Sari, Mayang; de Pee, Saskia; Moench-Pfanner, Regina; Bloem, Martin; Kraemer, Klaus

2012-04-01

Many developing countries now face the double burden of malnutrition, defined as the coexistence of a stunted child and overweight mother within the same household. This study sought to estimate the prevalence of the double burden of malnutrition and to identify associated maternal, child, and household characteristics in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh. A total of 247,126 rural households that participated in the Indonesia Nutrition Surveillance System (2000-2003) and 168,317 rural households in the Bangladesh Nutritional Surveillance Project (2003-2006) were included in the analysis. Maternal and child double burden (MCDB) and its association with individual and household characteristics were determined by using logistic regression models. MCDB was observed in 11% and 4% of the households in rural Indonesia and Bangladesh, respectively. Maternal short stature [Indonesia (OR: 2.32; 95% CI: 2.25, 2.40); Bangladesh (OR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.96, 2.26)], and older age were strong predictors of MCDB. Child characteristics such as older age and being female were associated with an increased odds of MCDB, whereas currently being breastfed was protective against MCDB [Indonesia (OR: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.81, 0.84); Bangladesh (OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.58)]. A large family size and higher weekly per capita household expenditure predicted MCDB [Indonesia (OR: 1.34; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.40); Bangladesh (OR: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.77, 2.12)]. Double burden is not exclusive to urban areas. Future policies and interventions should address under- and overweight simultaneously in both rural and urban developing country settings.

The Gambia and Bangladesh: the seasons and diarrhoea.

PubMed

Rowland, M G

1986-09-01

Climactic factors in the Gambia and Bangladesh have an important impact on the incidence of diarrheal disease. Both countries share some common characteristics in climate, including a cool dry winter of 3 months followed by a hot dry spring and hot wet summers of 5-7 months in length. The main difference is in the amount of rainfall. The Gambia may have 20-30 inches of rain each year; Bangladesh usually has up to 4-5 times this amount. In the Gambia, drought is a recurring problem; floods is the problem in Bangladesh. A study in the Gambia found a close link between the time of the annual peak in diarrhea in young children and the summer rains. A 2nd peak of diarrhea in the winter also was significant and was shown to coincide with a short period of intense transmission of rotavirus. Of the enteric infections of childhood, the enterotoxigenic "Escherichia coli" (ETEC), that is those producing heat-stable toxin (ST) were found to be the most important etiological agents of diarrhea in both countries, with a peak during the rains. In rural Gambia, water is obtained almost exclusively from surface wells, 15-20 meters deep. It was found that, although this water was fecally contaminated throughout the year, levels of contamination increased by up to 100 times with 1-2 days of the start of the rains because excreta is washed into the wells. It also was clear that contaminated water and domestic environment contribute to contamination of children's food. The high level of contamination of food during the summer coincided with the time of high diarrhea prevalence. In Bangladesh it was shown that the incidence of ETEC diarrhea in infants was positively correlated with the frequency of consumption of weaning foods contaminated with fecal coliforms. The seasonal peak of ETEC diarrhea coincided with the time when food was most contaminated due to higher bacterial growth caused by high temperatures. Cholera is endemic in many areas of Bangladesh but not in the Gambia. Though

Prevalence and Determinants of Secondhand Smoke Exposure Among Women in Bangladesh, 2011

PubMed Central

Minnwegen, Martina; Kaneider, Ulrike; Kraemer, Alexander; Khan, Md. Mobarak Hossain

2015-01-01

Background and Objectives: The population of Bangladesh is highly susceptible to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure due to high smoking rates and low awareness about the harmful effects of SHS. This study aims to determine the prevalence of SHS exposure and highlight the essential determinants in developing successful strategies to prevent adverse health effects in Bangladesh. Methods: The analysis is based on the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2011, in which 17,749 women in the reproductive age group (12–49 years) were included. The information regarding SHS exposure at home was derived from the question: “How often does anyone smoke inside your house?” The variable was recoded into 3 groups: daily exposure, low exposure (exposed weekly, monthly, or less than monthly), and no SHS exposure. We performed descriptive and bivariable analyses and multinomial logistic regression. Results: A total of 46.7% of the women reported high exposure to SHS at home. According to the multinomial logistic regression model, relatively lower education and lower wealth index were significantly associated with daily SHS exposure at home. The exposure differed significantly between the divisions of Bangladesh. Having children at home (vs. not) and being Islamic (compared to other religious affiliations) were protective factors. Conclusions: The study indicates that women from socioeconomically disadvantaged households are more likely to experience daily exposure to SHS at home. Therefore, especially these groups have to be targeted to reduce tobacco consumption. In addition to aspects of legislation, future strategies need to focus educational aspects to improve the population’s health status in Bangladesh. PMID:25125322

eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh: a scoping study.

PubMed

Ahmed, Tanvir; Lucas, Henry; Khan, Azfar Sadun; Islam, Rubana; Bhuiya, Abbas; Iqbal, Mohammad

2014-06-16

The health system of Bangladesh is haunted by challenges of accessibility and affordability. Despite impressive gains in many health indicators, recent evidence has raised concerns regarding the utilization, quality and equity of healthcare. In the context of new and unfamiliar public health challenges including high population density and rapid urbanization, eHealth and mHealth are being promoted as a route to cost-effective, equitable and quality healthcare in Bangladesh. The aim of this paper is to highlight such initiatives and understand their true potential. This scoping study applies a combination of research tools to explore 26 eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh. A screening matrix was developed by modifying the framework of Arksey & O'Malley, further complemented by case study and SWOT analysis to identify common traits among the selected interventions. The WHO health system building blocks approach was then used for thematic analysis of these traits. Findings suggest that most eHealth and mHealth initiatives have proliferated within the private sector, using mobile phones. The most common initiatives include tele-consultation, prescription and referral. While a minority of projects have a monitoring and evaluation framework, less than a quarter have undertaken evaluation. Most of the initiatives use a health management information system (HMIS) to monitor implementation. However, these do not provide for effective sharing of information and interconnectedness among the various actors. There are extremely few individuals with eHealth training in Bangladesh and there is a strong demand for capacity building and experience sharing, especially for implementation and policy making. There is also a lack of research evidence on how to design interventions to meet the needs of the population and on potential benefits. This study concludes that Bangladesh needs considerable preparation and planning to sustain eHealth and mHealth initiatives successfully

Geospatial and temporal patterns of annual cholera outbreaks in Matlab, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, M. S.; de Klerk, K.; Meyers, D.

2012-12-01

Cholera is a waterborne diarrheal disease endemic to Bangladesh, resulting in 1 million diagnoses annually. Such disease burden results in incalculable lost wages and treatment expenses, taken from the pockets of an already impoverished society. Two seasonally correlated outbreaks of cholera occur in Bangladesh every year. In the spring and early summer, the Bay of Bengal - which serves as a natural reservoir for the cholera bacteria - flows inland, causing the first outbreak amongst coastal communities. Waste containing the cholera bacteria enters the sewage system and remains untreated due to poor water and sanitation infrastructure. Therefore, during the following monsoon season, flooding of cholera-contaminated sewage into drinking water sources results in a second outbreak. Though considered common knowledge among local populations, this geographic and temporal progression has not been empirically verified in the current literature. The aim of our ongoing study is to systematically analyze the seasonal trajectory of endemic cholera in Bangladesh. This paper discusses the results obtained from a comprehensive survey of available cholera data from the International Centre of Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) in Matlab, Bangladesh. Matlab thana is a near-coastal community that consists of 142 villages. Monsoon season takes place from June through October. Due to its proximity to the Meghna River, which opens into the Bay of Bengal, the area experiences significant flooding during these months. Using 10 years of geographically referenced cholera data, cases were plotted in time and space. Preliminary patterns suggest that villages closer to the Meghna River experience the majority of the area's cholera outbreaks and that case count is highest in late spring and late fall. April/May and November/December represent 25% and 23% of total annual case counts respectively. Moreover, villages further from the coastline demonstrate 57% higher relative

eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh: A scoping study

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The health system of Bangladesh is haunted by challenges of accessibility and affordability. Despite impressive gains in many health indicators, recent evidence has raised concerns regarding the utilization, quality and equity of healthcare. In the context of new and unfamiliar public health challenges including high population density and rapid urbanization, eHealth and mHealth are being promoted as a route to cost-effective, equitable and quality healthcare in Bangladesh. The aim of this paper is to highlight such initiatives and understand their true potential. Methods This scoping study applies a combination of research tools to explore 26 eHealth and mHealth initiatives in Bangladesh. A screening matrix was developed by modifying the framework of Arksey & O’Malley, further complemented by case study and SWOT analysis to identify common traits among the selected interventions. The WHO health system building blocks approach was then used for thematic analysis of these traits. Results Findings suggest that most eHealth and mHealth initiatives have proliferated within the private sector, using mobile phones. The most common initiatives include tele-consultation, prescription and referral. While a minority of projects have a monitoring and evaluation framework, less than a quarter have undertaken evaluation. Most of the initiatives use a health management information system (HMIS) to monitor implementation. However, these do not provide for effective sharing of information and interconnectedness among the various actors. There are extremely few individuals with eHealth training in Bangladesh and there is a strong demand for capacity building and experience sharing, especially for implementation and policy making. There is also a lack of research evidence on how to design interventions to meet the needs of the population and on potential benefits. Conclusion This study concludes that Bangladesh needs considerable preparation and planning to sustain e

How and what rural women know: experiences in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Martius-von Harder, G

1979-01-01

A study was conducted in Bangladesh to determine the contribution rural women make to the economic conditions in their country. The study was necessary because little research has been done into the working patterns of rural women and their economic contributions have often been overlooked because they do not produce actual income. This article is a discussion of the problems faced by field researchers in countries like Bangladesh. Certain types of questions cannot be asked of women in rural Muslim areas, e.g., questions dealing with acreage of property, supply and demand in the marketplace, and irrigated land. Secluded women would have no way of knowing answers to these questions. Observation had to be used for a study of time-use, since the women do not live by the clock. Questions on women's ages can never be asked. Questions to females had to concern themselves with activities of females and questions to males, with activities of males. Rural people in Bangladesh do not seem to think in terms of exact measurement; this must be taken into account when analyzing answers. Researchers have to adapt their interviewing to the socioeconomic conditions of the area.

Estimates of fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

D'souza, S; Rahman, S

1978-01-01

The attempt is made to estimate fertility levels in Bangladesh on the basis of data collected during the 1974 Census. In the 1st section attention is directed to providing an overall picture of the demographic situation in the country. Comparisons between the 1961 and 1974 data demonstrates that the 1974 Census data provide consistent results. Factors such as the degree of urbanization, literacy and economic participation rates--considered as indicators of development--all seem to show little progress during the intercensal period. The use of child/women ratios (CWRs) provides plausible evidence of the likelihood of a fertility decline. A decline in CWR values is small for "all areas" but a marked decline can be noted for "urban areas." The recorded mean number of children is less in 1974 than in 1961 for women under age 35 whereas for the older groups the 1974 Census shows higher mean numbers. The Bangladesh Fertility Survey (BFS) data result for the total fertility rate of 6.58 is very close to that estimated for the 1974 Census--6.59. The reverse survival method also indicates that birthrates have been lower during the 1969-1974 period.

Detecting well casing leaks in Bangladesh using a salt spiking method.

PubMed

Stahl, M O; Ong, J B; Harvey, C F; Johnson, C D; Badruzzaman, A B M; Tarek, M H; van Geen, A; Anderson, J A; Lane, J W

2014-09-01

We apply fluid-replacement logging in arsenic-contaminated regions of Bangladesh using a low-cost, down-well fluid conductivity logging tool to detect leaks in the cased section of wells. The fluid-conductivity tool is designed for the developing world: it is lightweight and easily transportable, operable by one person, and can be built for minimal cost. The fluid-replacement test identifies leaking casing by comparison of fluid conductivity logs collected before and after spiking the wellbore with a sodium chloride tracer. Here, we present results of fluid-replacement logging tests from both leaking and non-leaking casing from wells in Araihazar and Munshiganj, Bangladesh, and demonstrate that the low-cost tool produces measurements comparable to those obtained with a standard geophysical logging tool. Finally, we suggest well testing procedures and approaches for preventing casing leaks in Bangladesh and other developing countries. © 2014, National Ground Water Association.

Factors affecting deliveries attended by skilled birth attendants in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kibria, Gulam Muhammed Al; Ghosh, Swagata; Hossen, Shakir; Barsha, Rifath Ara Alam; Sharmeen, Atia; Uddin, S M Iftekhar

2017-01-01

The presence of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) is crucial in childbirth to reduce the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and to achieve the maternal mortality target of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The aim of this study was to investigate the factors related to childbirths attended by SBAs in Bangladesh. Data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (2014 BDHS) were analyzed. Logistic regression was applied to calculate crude odds ratios (CORs), adjusted odds ratios (AORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values. In Bangladesh, 35.9% of deliveries were attended by SBAs, and 44.2% of those women received at least one antenatal check-up by a skilled provider. The deliveries by SBAs were less than 50% of the total deliveries in all divisions, excluding Khulna. Known pregnancy complications (AOR: 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4), higher level of education in both women (AOR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2-2.3) and their husbands (AOR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.3-2.4), receiving antenatal care (ANC) by a skilled provider during the pregnancy period (AOR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1), and higher wealth quintiles (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 2.5-4.7) were all significantly associated with an increased likelihood of a delivery by SBAs ( p  <0.05). In contrast, women living in rural areas (AOR: 0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.8) and the Sylhet Division (AOR: 0.4; 95% CI: 0.3-0.5) were less likely to be delivered by SBAs. To achieve the target of the Government of Bangladesh - 50% of deliveries to be attended by SBAs - it is important to increase ANC services and awareness programs in all seven divisions of Bangladesh. Special focus in rural areas is also required to meet this target. A new study should be conducted to explore the unexamined factors associated with the presence of SBAs during childbirth.

Civil Society, Health, and Social Exclusion in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Mahmud, Simeen

2009-01-01

Civil society has the potential to have a positive impact on social exclusion and health equity through active monitoring and increased accountability. This paper examines the role of civil society in Bangladesh to understand why this potential has not been realized. Looking at two models of civil society action—participation in decentralized public-sector service provision and academic think-tank data analysis—this analysis examines the barriers to positive civil society input into public policy decision-making. The role of non-governmental organizations, political, cultural and economic factors, and the influence of foreign bilateral and multilateral donors are considered. The paper concludes that, with a few exceptions, civil society in Bangladesh replicates the structural inequalities of society at large. PMID:19761087

Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of clinical isolates of Burkholderia pseudomallei in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Dutta, Subarna; Haq, Sabah; Hasan, Mohammad Rokibul; Haq, Jalaluddin Ashraful

2017-07-20

Melioidosis an infectious disease, caused by a Gram negative bacterium called Burkholderia pseudomallei, is endemic in Bangladesh. This organism is sensitive to limited number of antimicrobial agents and need prolonged treatment. There is no comprehensive data on the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of B. pseudomallei isolated in Bangladesh over last several years. The present study aimed to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of B. pseudomallei isolated in a tertiary care hospital of Dhaka city from 2009 to 2015. All B. pseudomallei isolated from melioidosis patients over a period of 7 years (2009-2015) in the Department of Microbiology of a 725-bed tertiary care referral hospital in Dhaka city, Bangladesh were included in the study. B. pseudomallei was identified by Gram stain, culture, specific biochemical tests, serology and PCR using specific primers constructed from 16s rRNA region of B. pseudomallei. Antimicrobial susceptibility to specific agents was determined by disk diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration methods. A total of 20 isolates of B. pseudomallei which were isolated from patients coming from different geographic locations of Bangladesh were included in the study. All the isolates were uniformly sensitive (100%) to ceftazidime, imipenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and tetracycline by both disk diffusion and MIC methods. Two strains were resistant to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole by disk diffusion method but were sensitive by MIC method. The MIC 50 and MIC 90 values of the above antimicrobial agents were almost similar. All the isolates were resistant to amikacin by both MIC and disk diffusion methods. The results of the study suggest that B. pseudomallei prevalent in Bangladesh were still susceptible to all recommended antimicrobial agents used for the treatment of melioidosis. However, regular monitoring is needed to detect any emergence of resistance and shifting of MIC 50 and MIC 90 values.

Source and Processes of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Bangladesh Groundwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKnight, D. M.; Simone, B. E.; Mladenov, N.; Zheng, Y.; Legg, T. M.; Nemergut, D.

2010-12-01

Arsenic contamination of groundwater is a global health crisis, especially in Bangladesh where an estimated 40 million people are at risk. The release of geogenic arsenic bound to sediments into groundwater is thought to be influenced by dissolved organic matter (DOM) through several biogeochemical processes. Abiotically, DOM can promote the release of sediment bound As through the formation of DOM-As complexes and competitive interactions between As and DOM for sorption sites on the sediment. Additionally, the labile portion of groundwater DOM can serve as an electron donor to support microbial growth and the more recalcitrant humic DOM may serve as an electron shuttle, facilitating the eventual reduction of ferric iron present as iron oxides in sediments and consequently the mobilization of sorbed As and organic material. The goal of this study is to understand the source of DOM in representative Bangladesh groundwaters and the DOM sorption processes that occur at depth. We report chemical characteristics of representative DOM from a surface water, a shallow low-As groundwater, mid-depth high-As groundwater from the Araihazar region of Bangladesh. The humic DOM from groundwater displayed a more terrestrial chemical signature, indicative of being derived from plant and soil precursor materials, while the surface water humic DOM had a more microbial signature, suggesting an anthropogenic influence. In terms of biogeochemical processes occurring in the groundwater system, there is evidence from a diverse set of chemical characteristics, ranging from 13C-NMR spectroscopy to the analysis of lignin phenols, for preferential sorption onto iron oxides influencing the chemistry and reactivity of humic DOM in high As groundwater in Bangladesh. Taken together, these results provide chemical evidence for anthropogenic influence and the importance of sorption reactions at depth controlling the water quality of high As groundwater in Bangladesh.

Women’s empowerment revisited: a case study from Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Islam, Farzana; Rottach, Elisabeth

2010-01-01

This article explores the changing dimensions of women's empowerment over time in three Bangladesh villages where one of the authors has been conducting research since 1991. The article discusses theoretical issues related to the measurement of women's empowerment, and describes findings from a recent study in the villages exploring the current salience of indicators developed for a 1992 survey. In the article we discuss the types of social, economic, and political change that affect the measurement of women’s empowerment; propose and explain a new set of indicators for the rural Bangladesh setting; and discuss implications for measuring women's empowerment in other settings. PMID:20856695

Moving Forward with Export Oriented Shipbuilding Industries in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakaria, N. M. G.

2012-10-01

In the recent time, shipbuilding has been considered as a thrust sector in the economy of Bangladesh. But, there exist various problems that obstruct the development of this sector especially for export oriented shipbuilding. In this paper, the general shipbuilding related problems along with its nature have been identified. The prospects of export oriented shipbuilding in context of global and international demand have been highlighted. Also, the present initiatives towards export oriented shipbuilding has been focused. Finally some recommendations have been put forward in this paper in order to hold a firm position in world shipbuilding market by export oriented shipbuilding industry in Bangladesh.

Fifteen years of sector-wide approach (SWAp) in Bangladesh health sector: an assessment of progress.

PubMed

Ahsan, Karar Zunaid; Streatfield, Peter Kim; Ijdi, Rashida-E-; Escudero, Gabriela Maria; Khan, Abdul Waheed; Reza, M M

2016-06-01

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) of the Government of Bangladesh embarked on a sector-wide approach (SWAp) modality for the health, nutrition and population (HNP) sector in 1998. This programmatic shift initiated a different set of planning disciplines and practices along with institutional changes in the MOHFW. Over the years, the SWAp modality has evolved in Bangladesh as the MOHFW has learnt from its implementation and refined the program design. This article explores the progress made, both in terms of achievement of health outcomes and systems strengthening results, since the implementation of the SWAp for Bangladesh's health sector. Secondary analyses of survey data from 1993 to 2011 as well as a literature review of published and grey literature on health SWAp in Bangladesh was conducted for this assessment. Results of the assessment indicate that the MOHFW made substantial progress in health outcomes and health systems strengthening. SWAps facilitated the alignment of funding and technical support around national priorities, and improved the government's role in program design as well as in implementation and development partner coordination. Notable systemic improvements have taken place in the country systems with regards to monitoring and evaluation, procurement and service provision, which have improved functionality of health facilities to provide essential care. Implementation of the SWAp has, therefore, contributed to an accelerated improvement in key health outcomes in Bangladesh over the last 15 years. The health SWAp in Bangladesh offers an example of a successful adaptation of such an approach in a complex administrative structure. Based on the lessons learned from SWAp implementation in Bangladesh, the MOHFW needs to play a stronger stewardship and regulatory role to reap the full benefits of a SWAp in its subsequent programming. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of

Social and economic impact of diabetics in Bangladesh: protocol for a case-control study.

PubMed

Shariful Islam, Sheikh Mohammed; Lechner, Andreas; Ferrari, Uta; Froeschl, Guenter; Niessen, Louis W; Seissler, Jochen; Alam, Dewan Shamsul

2013-12-21

Diabetes affects both individuals and their families and has an impact on economic and social development of a country. Information on the availability, cost, and quality of medical care for diabetes is mostly not available for many low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh. Complications from diabetes, which can be devastating, could largely be prevented by wider use of several inexpensive generic medicines, simple tests and monitoring and can be a cost saving intervention. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social and economic impacts of diabetes in Bangladesh and propose clear recommendations for improving prevention and management of diabetes. The objectives of the study are: 1) To study the association between diabetes and other health problems and its social impacts. 2) To estimate the economic impact of diabetes including total direct and indirect costs. 3) To measure the impact of diabetes on quality of life among diabetes patients in Bangladesh. 4) To study the impact of diabetes on the health care system This is a case-control study comparing cases with type 2 diabetes to controls without diabetes matched on age, sex and place of residence. 564 cases and 564 controls will be selected from the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data on socioeconomic status, health utility index, direct and indirect costs for diabetes, medication adherence, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, diet, physical activity, mental state examination, weight, height, hip and waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse, medication history, laboratory data and physical examination will be conducted. The primary outcome measures will be association between diabetes and other health problems, cost of diabetes, impact of diabetes on quality of life and secondary outcome measures are impact of diabetes on healthcare systems in Bangladesh. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social

Relationships of Exclusion and Cohesion with Health: The Case of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

The concept of social exclusion, applied widely in the European Union, has in recent years been gaining use in Bangladesh, mostly by international development agencies. Does this discourse of deprivation, developed in the welfare states of northern Europe, have salience in its application to deprivation in countries like Bangladesh where, for example, 31% of the rural population lives in chronic poverty? The concept of social exclusion has three principal components: a dynamic and relational perspective which requires the identification of who or what causes exclusion; an explicit recognition of multiple dimensions of deprivation; and a longitudinal perspective, recognizing that individuals and groups are dynamic intra- and intergenerationally. The Social Exclusion Knowledge Network of the World Health Organization Commission on Social Determinants of Health expanded the concept to include health status as a contributor to and an outcome of exclusion and to show that actors beyond the state or public sector can critically impact exclusionary processes. In the Bangladesh application, the relevance of the modified model was explored to find that while there are negative associations between social exclusion and health status, much stronger documentation is needed of the relationship. The modification of including multiple sectors, such as private enterprise and civil society, in addition to the state, as having potential to impact exclusionary processes is fundamental to the application of the social exclusion model in Bangladesh. PMID:19761078

Untapped aspects of mass media campaigns for changing health behaviour towards non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Tabassum, Reshman; Froeschl, Guenter; Cruz, Jonas P; Colet, Paolo C; Dey, Sukhen; Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful

2018-01-18

In recent years, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become epidemic in Bangladesh. Behaviour changing interventions are key to prevention and management of NCDs. A great majority of people in Bangladesh have low health literacy, are less receptive to health information, and are unlikely to embrace positive health behaviours. Mass media campaigns can play a pivotal role in changing health behaviours of the population. This review pinpoints the role of mass media campaigns for NCDs and the challenges along it, whilst stressing on NCD preventive programmes (with the examples from different countries) to change health behaviours in Bangladesh. Future research should underpin the use of innovative technologies and mobile phones, which might be a prospective option for NCD prevention and management in Bangladesh.

A review of the mosquito species (Diptera: Culicidae) of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Irish, Seth R; Al-Amin, Hasan Mohammad; Alam, Mohammad Shafiul; Harbach, Ralph E

2016-10-22

Diseases caused by mosquito-borne pathogens remain an important source of morbidity and mortality in Bangladesh. To better control the vectors that transmit the agents of disease, and hence the diseases they cause, and to appreciate the diversity of the family Culicidae, it is important to have an up-to-date list of the species present in the country. Original records were collected from a literature review to compile a list of the species recorded in Bangladesh. Records for 123 species were collected, although some species had only a single record. This is an increase of ten species over the most recent complete list, compiled nearly 30 years ago. Collection records of three additional species are included here: Anopheles pseudowillmori, Armigeres malayi and Mimomyia luzonensis. While this work constitutes the most complete list of mosquito species collected in Bangladesh, further work is needed to refine this list and understand the distributions of those species within the country. Improved morphological and molecular methods of identification will allow the refinement of this list in years to come.

Measuring global surgical disparities: a survey of surgical and anesthesia infrastructure in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Lebrun, Drake G; Dhar, Debashish; Sarkar, Md Imran H; Imran, T M Tanzil A; Kazi, Sayadat N; McQueen, K A Kelly

2013-01-01

Surgically treatable diseases weigh heavily on the lives of people in resource-poor countries. Though global surgical disparities are increasingly recognized as a public health priority, the extent of these disparities is unknown because of a lack of data. The present study sought to measure surgical and anesthesia infrastructure in Bangladesh as part of an international study assessing surgical and anesthesia capacity in low income nations. A comprehensive survey tool was administered via convenience sampling at one public district hospital and one public tertiary care hospital in each of the seven administrative divisions of Bangladesh. There are an estimated 1,200 obstetricians, 2,615 general and subspecialist surgeons, and 850 anesthesiologists in Bangladesh. These numbers correspond to 0.24 surgical providers per 10,000 people and 0.05 anesthesiologists per 10,000 people. Surveyed hospitals performed a large number of operations annually despite having minimal clinical human resources and inadequate physical infrastructure. Shortages in equipment and/or essential medicines were reported at all hospitals and these shortages were particularly severe at the district hospital level. In order to meet the immense demand for surgical care in Bangladesh, public hospitals must address critical shortages in skilled human resources, inadequate physical infrastructure, and low availability of equipment and essential medications. This study identified numerous areas in which the international community can play a vital role in increasing surgical and anesthesia capacity in Bangladesh and ensuring safe surgery for all in the country.

Using artificial neural network and satellite data to predict rice yield in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhand, Kawsar; Nizamuddin, Mohammad; Roytman, Leonid; Kogan, Felix; Goldberg, Mitch

2015-09-01

Rice production in Bangladesh is a crucial part of the national economy and providing about 70 percent of an average citizen's total calorie intake. The demand for rice is constantly rising as the new populations are added in every year in Bangladesh. Due to the increase in population, the cultivation land decreases. In addition, Bangladesh is faced with production constraints such as drought, flooding, salinity, lack of irrigation facilities and lack of modern technology. To maintain self sufficiency in rice, Bangladesh will have to continue to expand rice production by increasing yield at a rate that is at least equal to the population growth until the demand of rice has stabilized. Accurate rice yield prediction is one of the most important challenges in managing supply and demand of rice as well as decision making processes. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is used to construct a model to predict Aus rice yield in Bangladesh. Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)-based remote sensing satellite data vegetation health (VH) indices (Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and Temperature Condition Index (TCI) are used as input variables and official statistics of Aus rice yield is used as target variable for ANN prediction model. The result obtained with ANN method is encouraging and the error of prediction is less than 10%. Therefore, prediction can play an important role in planning and storing of sufficient rice to face in any future uncertainty.

Epidemiology of Burns in Rural Bangladesh: An Update

PubMed Central

He, Siran; Alonge, Olakunle; Agrawal, Priyanka; Sharmin, Shumona; Islam, Irteja; Mashreky, Saidur Rahman; Arifeen, Shams El

2017-01-01

Each year, approximately 265,000 deaths occur due to burns on a global scale. In Bangladesh, around 173,000 children under 18 sustain a burn injury. Since most epidemiological studies on burn injuries in low and middle-income countries are based on small-scale surveys or hospital records, this study aims to derive burn mortality and morbidity measures and risk factors at a population level in Bangladesh. A household survey was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh in 2013 to assess injury outcomes. Burn injuries were one of the external causes of injury. Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors were described using descriptive as well as univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The overall mortality and morbidity rates were 2 deaths and 528 injuries per 100,000 populations. Females had a higher burn rate. More than 50% of injuries were seen in adults 25 to 64 years of age. Most injuries occurred in the kitchen while preparing food. 88% of all burns occurred due to flame. Children 1 to 4 years of age were four times more likely to sustain burn injuries as compared to infants. Age-targeted interventions, awareness of first aid protocols, and improvement of acute care management would be potential leads to curb death and disability due to burn injuries. PMID:28379160

Diversity and Molecular Phylogeny of Mitochondrial DNA of Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

HASAN, M. KAMRUL; FEEROZ, M. MOSTAFA; JONES-ENGEL, LISA; ENGEL, GREGORY A.; KANTHASWAMY, SREE; SMITH, DAVID GLENN

2015-01-01

While studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in the eastern (e.g., China) and western (e.g., India) parts of their geographic range have revealed major genetic differences that warrant the recognition of two different subspecies, little is known about genetic characteristics of rhesus macaques in the transitional zone extending from eastern India and Bangladesh through the northern part of Indo-China, the probable original homeland of the species. We analyzed genetic variation of 762 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA from 86 fecal swab samples and 19 blood samples from 25 local populations of rhesus macaque in Bangladesh collected from January 2010 to August 2012. These sequences were compared with those of rhesus macaques from India, China, and Myanmar. Forty-six haplotypes defined by 200 (26%) polymorphic nucleotide sites were detected. Estimates of gene diversity, expected heterozygosity, and nucleotide diversity for the total population were 0.9599 ± 0.0097, 0.0193 ± 0.0582, and 0.0196 ± 0.0098, respectively. A mismatch distribution of paired nucleotide differences yielded a statistically significantly negative value of Tajima's D, reflecting a population that rapidly expanded after the terminal Pleistocene. Most haplotypes throughout regions of Bangladesh, including an isolated region in the southwestern area (Sundarbans), clustered with haplotypes assigned to the minor haplogroup Ind-2 from India reflecting an east to west dispersal of rhesus macaques to India. Haplotypes from the southeast region of Bangladesh formed a cluster with those from Myanmar, and represent the oldest rhesus macaque haplotypes of Bangladesh. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that rhesus macaques first entered Bangladesh from the southeast, probably from Indo-China, then dispersed westward throughout eastern and central India. PMID:24810278

Who pays for healthcare in Bangladesh? An analysis of progressivity in health systems financing.

PubMed

Molla, Azaher Ali; Chi, Chunhuei

2017-09-06

The relationship between payments towards healthcare and ability to pay is a measure of financial fairness. Analysis of progressivity is important from an equity perspective as well as for macroeconomic and political analysis of healthcare systems. Bangladesh health systems financing is characterized by high out-of-pocket payments (63.3%), which is increasing. Hence, we aimed to see who pays what part of this high out-of-pocket expenditure. To our knowledge, this was the first progressivity analysis of health systems financing in Bangladesh. We used data from Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey, 2010. This was a cross sectional and nationally representative sample of 12,240 households consisting of 55,580 individuals. For quantification of progressivity, we adopted the 'ability-to-pay' principle developed by O'Donnell, van Doorslaer, Wagstaff, and Lindelow (2008). We used the Kakwani index to measure the magnitude of progressivity. Health systems financing in Bangladesh is regressive. Inequality increases due to healthcare payments. The differences between the Gini coefficient and the Kakwani index for all sources of finance are negative, which indicates regressivity, and that financing is more concentrated among the poor. Income inequality increases due to high out-of-pocket payments. The increase in income inequality caused by out-of-pocket payments is 89% due to negative vertical effect and 11% due to horizontal inequity. Our findings add substantial evidence of health systems financing impact on inequitable financial burden of healthcare and income. The heavy reliance on out-of-pocket payments may affect household living standards. If the government and people of Bangladesh are concerned about equitable financing burden, our study suggests that Bangladesh needs to reform the health systems financing scheme.

Programme impact on current contraception in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Latif, M A

1994-03-01

"This paper analyses the impact of three credit programmes--the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), the Bangladesh Rural Development Board's Rural Development-12 (BRDB RD-12), and the Grameen Bank (GB), on current rate of contraception. These programmes are targeted to alleviate poverty by providing group-based credit to the rural poor in creating self employment opportunities. With small credits, these programmes combine family planning activities in terms of consciousness raising, awareness building and motivation. Sample survey data are used to analyse the problem of impact evaluation. The analyses show that the BRAC and the GB programmes have [a] significantly positive impact on the current rate of contraception, while the BRDB RD-12 programme does not have any such impact. It is also found that education, both of female[s] and male[s] separately, and child survivorship have independently positive impact[s] on current contraception." excerpt

Coronary artery disease in Bangladesh: A review

PubMed Central

Islam, A.K.M. Monwarul; Majumder, A.A.S.

2013-01-01

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an increasingly important medical and public health problem, and is the leading cause of mortality in Bangladesh. Like other South Asians, Bangladeshis are unduly prone to develop CAD, which is often premature in onset, follows a rapidly progressive course and angiographically more severe. The underlying pathophysiology is poorly understood. Genetic predisposition, high prevalence of metabolic syndrome and conventional risk factors play important role. Lifestyle related factors, including poor dietary habits, excess saturated and trans fat, high salt intake, and low-level physical activity may be important as well. Some novel risk factors, including hypovitaminosis D, arsenic contamination in water and food-stuff, particulate matter air pollution may play unique role. At the advent of the new millennium, we know little about our real situation. Largescale epidemiological, genetic and clinical researches are needed to explore the different aspects of CAD in Bangladesh. PMID:23993003

Health and family planning services in Bangladesh: a study in inequality.

PubMed

Gish, O

1981-01-01

The development of health and family planning services in Bangladesh is examined in the context of the country's political economy. Inequities of power, influence, opportunity, and the ownership and distribution of assets and income are seen to lie at the root of the "Bangladesh crisis." In this, the country is not unlike many others in the Third World, only more so. The internal and external pressures which have contributed to a coercive attitude toward the problem of too rapid population growth are discussed. The allocation of Bangladeshi health service resources is examined in terms of expenditure, manpower, and facilities; they are found to be both inequitably distributed and inefficiently applied. Some alternatives to present patterns of development are touched upon. It is concluded that despite the country's poverty, most people do not have to go without basic primary health care (including family planning), which can be afforded even by countries as economically impoverished as Bangladesh.

Brucella abortus is Prevalent in Both Humans and Animals in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rahman, A K M A; Saegerman, C; Berkvens, D; Melzer, F; Neubauer, H; Fretin, D; Abatih, E; Dhand, N; Ward, M P

2017-08-01

To determine the role of different Brucella (B.) spp. in Bangladesh, 62 animal samples and 500 human sera were tested. Animal samples from cattle, goats and sheep (including milk, bull semen, vaginal swabs and placentas) were cultured for Brucella spp. Three test-positive human sera and all animal samples were screened by Brucella genus-specific real-time PCR (RT-PCR), and positive samples were then tested by IS711 RT-PCR to detect B. abortus and B. melitensis DNA. Only B. abortus DNA was amplified from 13 human and six animal samples. This is the first report describing B. abortus as the aetiological agent of brucellosis in occupationally exposed humans in Bangladesh. Of note is failure to detect B. melitensis DNA, the species most often associated with human brucellosis worldwide. Further studies are required to explore the occurrence of Brucella melitensis in Bangladesh. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Harnessing pluralism for better health in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmed, Syed Masud; Evans, Timothy G; Standing, Hilary; Mahmud, Simeen

2013-11-23

How do we explain the paradox that Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in health and human development, yet its achievements have taken place within a health system that is frequently characterised as weak, in terms of inadequate physical and human infrastructure and logistics, and low performing? We argue that the development of a highly pluralistic health system environment, defined by the participation of a multiplicity of different stakeholders and agents and by ad hoc, diffused forms of management has contributed to these outcomes by creating conditions for rapid change. We use a combination of data from official sources, research studies, case studies of specific innovations, and in-depth knowledge from our own long-term engagement with health sector issues in Bangladesh to lay out a conceptual framework for understanding pluralism and its outcomes. Although we argue that pluralism has had positive effects in terms of stimulating change and innovation, we also note its association with poor health systems governance and regulation, resulting in endemic problems such as overuse and misuse of drugs. Pluralism therefore requires active management that acknowledges and works with its polycentric nature. We identify four key areas where this management is needed: participatory governance, accountability and regulation, information systems, and capacity development. This approach challenges some mainstream frameworks for managing health systems, such as the building blocks approach of the WHO Health Systems Framework. However, as pluralism increasingly defines the nature and the challenge of 21st century health systems, the experience of Bangladesh is relevant to many countries across the world. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design of a Braille Learning Application for Visually Impaired Students in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nahar, Lutfun; Jaafar, Azizah; Ahamed, Eistiak; Kaish, A B M A

2015-01-01

Visually impaired students (VIS) are unable to get visual information, which has made their learning process complicated. This paper discusses the overall situation of VIS in Bangladesh and identifies major challenges that they are facing in getting education. The Braille system is followed to educate blind students in Bangladesh. However, lack of Braille based educational resources and technological solutions have made the learning process lengthy and complicated for VIS. As a developing country, Bangladesh cannot afford for the costly Braille related technological tools for VIS. Therefore, a mobile phone based Braille application, "mBRAILLE", for Android platform is designed to provide an easy Braille learning technology for VIS in Bangladesh. The proposed design is evaluated by experts in assistive technology for students with disabilities, and advanced learners of Braille. The application aims to provide a Bangla and English Braille learning platform for VIS. In this paper, we depict iterative (participatory) design of the application along with a preliminary evaluation with 5 blind subjects, and 1 sighted and 2 blind experts. The results show that the design scored an overall satisfaction level of 4.53 out of 5 by all respondents, indicating that our design is ready for the next step of development.

Equity Gains in Bangladesh Primary Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdhury, A. Mushtaque R.; Nath, Samir R.; Choudhury, Rasheda K.

2003-11-01

Although equity is a desirable objective of any form of development intervention, including education, not many studies dwell upon this important area. Information on related trends is even more rare. This essay uses field-level data from Bangladesh to examine equity levels and trends in primary education, including enrolment and quality of learning, focusing on equity for different gender, urban or rural, economic and ethnic groups. The study shows that while some disparity between girls and boys has been eliminated, girls are still far behind boys in terms of learning achievement. Children belonging to poorer families and ethnic minority groups lag behind the respective dominant groups in terms of both enrolment and learning achievement. At the same time, there have been some improvements for hitherto excluded groups such as rural girls and children of the poor. These changes are attributed mainly to 'positive discriminatory' steps taken by the government and non-governmental organizations in favour of such groups. If this trend continues, Bangladesh can look forward to establishing itself as a more equitable society than it is now.

Bangladesh Agro-Climatic Environmental Monitoring Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vermillion, C.; Maurer, H.; Williams, M.; Kamowski, J.; Moore, T.; Maksimovich, W.; Obler, H.; Gilbert, E.

1988-01-01

The Agro-Climatic Environmental Monitoring Project (ACEMP) is based on a Participating Agency Service Agreement (PASA) between the Agency for International Development (AID) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In FY80, the Asia Bureau and Office of Federal Disaster Assistance (OFDA), worked closely to develop a funding mechanism which would meet Bangladesh's needs both for flood and cyclone warning capability and for application of remote sensing data to development problems. In FY90, OFDA provided for a High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) receiving capability to improve their forecasting accuracy for cyclones, flooding and storm surges. That equipment is primarily intended as a disaster prediction and preparedness measure. The ACEM Project was designed to focus on the development applications of remote sensing technology. Through this Project, AID provided to the Bangladesh Government (BDG) the equipment, technical assistance, and training necessary to collect and employ remote sensing data made available by satellites as well as hydrological data obtained from data collection platforms placed in major rivers. The data collected will enable the BDG to improve the management of its natural resources.

Design Strategies and Preliminary Prototype for a Low-Cost Arsenic Removal System for Rural Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathieu, Johanna L.; Gadgil, Ashok J.; Kowolik, Kristin

2009-09-14

Researchers have invented a material called ARUBA -- Arsenic Removal Using Bottom Ash -- that effectively and affordably removes arsenic from Bangladesh groundwater. Through analysis of studies across a range of disciplines, observations, and informal interviews conducted over three trips to Bangladesh, we have applied mechanical engineering design methodology to develop eight key design strategies, which were used in the development of a low-cost, community-scale water treatment system that uses ARUBA to removearsenic from drinking water. We have constructed, tested, and analysed a scale version of the system. Experiments have shown that the system is capable of reducing high levelsmore » of arsenic (nearly 600 ppb) to below the Bangladesh standard of 50 ppb, while remaining affordable to people living on less than US$2/day. The system could be sustainably implemented as a public-private partnership in rural Bangladesh.« less

Workplace safety in Bangladesh ready-made garment sector: 3 years after the Rana Plaza collapse.

PubMed

Barua, Uttama; Ansary, Mehedi Ahmed

2017-12-01

Workplace safety is one of the most important issues in industries worldwide, and is endangered by industrial accidents. Different industrial disasters have resulted in several initiatives worldwide to protect human life and reduce material damage, both nationally and internationally. In Bangladesh, the ready-made garment (RMG) industry is one of the most important export-oriented business sectors, which is facing challenges to ensure workplace safety. The Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh is the consequence of such non-compliance. The accident resulted in different local and global initiatives to address the challenges. This article reviews progress and achievement of the initiatives to reduce vulnerability in the Bangladesh RMG industry within 3 years after the deadly accident. In the long run, the challenge is to maintain momentum already created for achieving sustainability in the RMG sector in Bangladesh and maintaining compliance even after the end of support from external partners.

Information Network on Rural Development (INRD), Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanasundra, Leelangi

1994-01-01

Discusses information networking in Bangladesh and describes the formation of the Information Network on Rural Development (INRD) which was initiated by the Center on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP). Organization, membership, activities, participation, and finance are examined. (four references) (LRW)

The Price Sensitivity of Cigarette Consumption in Bangladesh: Evidence from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) Surveys

PubMed Central

Nargis, Nigar; Ruthbah, Ummul H.; Hussain, AKM Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Huq, Iftekharul; Ashiquzzaman, SM

2014-01-01

Background In Bangladesh, the average excise tax on cigarettes accounted for merely 38% in 2009 and 45% in 2010 of the average retail price of cigarettes. It is well below the WHO recommended share of 70% of the retail price at a minimum. There is thus ample room for raising taxes on cigarettes in Bangladesh. Objective The objective of the paper is to estimate the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes and the effect of tax increases on the consumption of cigarettes and on tax revenue in Bangladesh. Methods Based on data from Wave 1 (2009) and Wave 2 (2010) of the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh Survey, we estimate the overall impact of a price change on cigarette demand using a two-part model. The total price elasticity of cigarettes is measured by the sum of the elasticity of smoking prevalence and the elasticity of average daily consumption conditional on smoking participation. The price elasticity estimates are used in a simulation model to predict changes in cigarette consumption and tax revenue from tax and price increases. Findings The total price elasticity of demand for cigarettes is estimated at −0.49. The elasticity of smoking prevalence accounts for 59% of the total price elasticity. The price elasticity of cigarette consumption is higher for people belonging to lower socio-economic status. Increases in taxes would result in significant reduction in cigarette consumption while tax revenue increases. Conclusion Raising cigarette price through increased taxation can lead to a win-win-win situation in Bangladesh—it will reduce cigarette consumption, increase tobacco tax revenue and potentially decrease socio-economic inequities. PMID:24105828

Renewable energy and rural development activities experience in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Barua, D.C.

1997-12-01

The per capita per year fuel consumption in Bangladesh is only 56 kg oil equivalent. The supply of electricity by Bangladesh power development board (BPDB) and Dhaka electricity supply authority (DESA) is mainly confined to cities and towns. Rural Electrification Board (REB) distributes electricity to the rural people through cooperatives. The rural cooperatives cover only 10% of the total population. Only about 15% of the total population is directly connected to the electricity. In order to meet the increasing energy demand for development of agriculture and industry and for the generation of better employment opportunities, it will be necessary tomore » harness all the available alternative sources of energy immediately.« less

Urban-rural differences in disability-free life expectancy in Bangladesh using the 2010 HIES data.

PubMed

Islam, Md Shariful; Tareque, Md Ismail; Mondal, Md Nazrul Islam; Fazle Rabbi, Ahbab Mohammad; Khan, Hafiz T A; Begum, Sharifa

2017-01-01

Research on health expectancy has been carried out in Bangladesh but none of it has examined the differences in Disability-Free Life Expectancy (DFLE) between urban and rural setting in context of rapid urbanization of Bangladesh in past decades. The present study aims to estimate DFLE for people of all ages living in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh, and to examine the differences in DFLE between these two areas. Data from the Sample Vital Registration System 2010 and the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) 2010 were used in this study. The Sullivan method was applied to estimate DFLE in Bangladesh. Higher rates of mortality and disability were observed in rural areas compared to urban areas with few exceptions. Statistically significant differences in DFLE were revealed from birth to age 15 years for both sexes between urban and rural areas. Urban males had a longer life expectancy (LE), longer DFLE and shorter LE with disability both in number and proportion when compared to rural males. Rural females at age 20+ years had a longer LE than urban females but urban females had a longer DFLE and a shorter LE with disability in both number and proportion at all ages than did rural females. This study demonstrates that there were clear inequalities in LE, DFLE and LE with disability between rural and urban areas of Bangladesh along with age-specific differences as well. These findings may serve as useful and benchmark for intervention and policy implications for reducing the gap in health outcomes.

The Role of Pre-School Education on Learning Achievement at Primary Level in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nath, Samir Ranjan

2012-01-01

This paper examines the impact of pre-school education on learning achievement at primary level in Bangladesh. Evidence from learning achievement test and household and school-related data were obtained from 7093 pupils attending 440 primary schools in Bangladesh. Findings suggest that a small proportion (15.3%) of primary school pupils attended…

Approaches to Increase Arsenic Awareness in Bangladesh: An Evaluation of an Arsenic Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Christine Marie; Factor-Litvak, Pam; Khan, Khalid; Islam, Tariqul; Singha, Ashit; Moon-Howard, Joyce; van Geen, Alexander; Graziano, Joseph H.

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a household-level arsenic education and well water arsenic testing intervention to increase arsenic awareness in Bangladesh. The authors randomly selected 1,000 study respondents located in 20 villages in Singair, Bangladesh. The main outcome was the change in knowledge of arsenic from…

Exclusion of Indigenous Children from Primary Education in the Rajshahi Division of Northwestern Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarker, Profulla; Davey, Gareth

2009-01-01

Although education provision has recently improved in Bangladesh, the exclusion of children in the poorest families remains a pressing issue. Surveys in Bangladesh about school attendance have to date been confined to the dominant ethnic groups. Data are lacking for ethnic minorities such as indigenous children. To address this issue, we surveyed…

Strategic Intervention of ODL in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rashid, A. Q. M. Bazlur; Rahman, M. Rokibur

2010-01-01

Education has been considered as a priority sector and a great challenge to the Bangladesh Government, with a view to transforming human potential into a productive workforce. The conventional face to face education system is not enough to cope with the need of an ever increasing population, rapid changes in human knowledge and the global context…

Plasmodium falciparum Genetic Diversity in Bangladesh Does Not Suggest a Hypoendemic Population Structure

PubMed Central

Alam, Mohammad Shafiul; Elahi, Rubayet; Mohon, Abu Naser; Al-Amin, Hasan Mohammad; Kibria, Mohammad Golam; Khan, Wasif A.; Khanum, Hamida; Haque, Rashidul

2016-01-01

Despite the recommendation for the use of merozoite surface protein 1 (msp1), merozoite surface protein 2 (msp2), and glutamate-rich protein (glurp) genes as markers in drug efficacy studies by World Health Organization and their limited use in Bangladesh, the circulating Plasmodium falciparum population genetic structure has not yet been assessed in Bangladesh. This study presents a comprehensive report on the circulating P. falciparum population structure based on msp1, msp2, and glurp polymorphic gene markers in Bangladesh. Among the 130 pretreatment (day 0) P. falciparum samples from seven malaria-endemic districts, 14 distinct genotypes were observed for msp1, 20 for msp2, and 13 for glurp. Polyclonal infection was reported in 94.6% (N = 123) of the samples. Multiplicity of infection (MOI) for msp1 was the highest (1.5) among the MOIs of the markers. The heterozygosity for msp1, msp2, and glurp was 0.89, 0.93, and 0.83, respectively. Data according to different malaria-endemic areas are also presented and discussed. Bangladesh is considered as a malaria-hypoendemic country. However, the prevalence of polyclonal infection and the genetic diversity of P. falciparum do not represent hypoendemicity. PMID:27139455

A survey of the dog population in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hossain, Moazzem; Ahmed, Kamruddin; Marma, Aung Swi Prue; Hossain, Sohrab; Ali, Mohammad Azmat; Shamsuzzaman, Abul Khair Mohammad; Nishizono, Akira

2013-08-01

Globally, Bangladesh ranks third in the number of human deaths from rabies. Although dogs are the principal known transmitters of rabies and knowledge of dog populations is essential for effective national control and proper planning, dog control programs are scarce in Bangladesh. Our objective was to count dogs in a rural area to understand the dog population of the country. For this purpose we selected six unions of Raipura upazila in Narsingdi district. Dog counting was done by direct observation following accepted guidelines. We determined the mean density of the dog population in Bangladesh to be 14 dog/km(2) (95% CI 3.7, 24) and the human:dog ratio to be 120 (95% CI 55, 184). Our paper contribute to the literature which shows great variation in the human:dog ratio across regions of the developing world. The human:dog ratio depends on the area's human (as well as dog) population, whereas dog density per unit area indicates the true number of dogs. We propose that extrapolating from the human:dog ratios of other regions not be relied upon for estimating dog populations, unless the ratios can be supplemented by actual counts of dogs within the target area. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Maternal mortality in Bangladesh: a Countdown to 2015 country case study.

PubMed

El Arifeen, Shams; Hill, Kenneth; Ahsan, Karar Zunaid; Jamil, Kanta; Nahar, Quamrun; Streatfield, Peter Kim

2014-10-11

Bangladesh is one of the only nine Countdown countries that are on track to achieve the primary target of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 by 2015. It is also the only low-income or middle-income country with two large, nationally-representative, high-quality household surveys focused on the measurement of maternal mortality and service use. We use data from the 2001 and 2010 Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Surveys to measure change in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and from these and six Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys to measure changes in factors potentially related to such change. We estimate the changes in risk of maternal death between the two surveys using Poisson regression. The MMR fell from 322 deaths per 100,000 livebirths (95% CI 253-391) in 1998-2001 to 194 deaths per 100,000 livebirths (149-238) in 2007-10, an annual rate of decrease of 5·6%. This decrease rate is slightly higher than that required (5·5%) to achieve the MDG target between 1990 and 2015. The key contribution to this decrease was a drop in mortality risk mainly due to improved access to and use of health facilities. Additionally, a number of favourable changes occurred during this period: fertility decreased and the proportion of births associated with high risk to the mother fell; income per head increased sharply and the poverty rate fell; and the education levels of women of reproductive age improved substantially. We estimate that 52% of maternal deaths that would have occurred in 2010 in view of 2001 rates were averted because of decreases in fertility and risk of maternal death. The decrease in MMR in Bangladesh seems to have been the result of factors both within and outside the health sector. This finding holds important lessons for other countries as the world discusses and decides on the post-MDG goals and strategies. For Bangladesh, this case study provides a strong rationale for the pursuit of a broader developmental agenda alongside increased and

Lightning Injury is a disaster in Bangladesh? - Exploring its magnitude and public health needs.

PubMed

Biswas, Animesh; Dalal, Koustuv; Hossain, Jahangir; Ul Baset, Kamran; Rahman, Fazlur; Rahman Mashreky, Saidur

2016-01-01

Background: Lightning injury is a global public health issue. Low and middle-income countries in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world are most affected by lightning. Bangladesh is one of the countries at particular risk, with a high number of devastating lightning injuries in the past years, causing high mortality and morbidity. The exact magnitude of the problem is still unknown and therefore this study investigates the epidemiology of lightning injuries in Bangladesh, using a national representative sample. Methods: A mixed method was used. The study is based on results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey performed in 2003 in twelve randomly selected districts. In the survey, a total of 819,429 respondents from 171,336 households were interviewed using face-to-face interviews. In addition, qualitative information was obtained by reviewing national and international newspaper reports of lightning injuries sustained in Bangladesh between 13 and 15 May 2016. Results: The annual mortality rate was 3.661 (95% CI 0.9313-9.964) per 1,000,000 people. The overall incidence of lightning injury was 19.89/100,000 people. Among the victims, 60.12% (n=98) were males and 39.87% (n=65) were females. Males were particularly vulnerable, with a 1.46 times increased risk compared with females (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06-1.99). Rural populations were more vulnerable, with a 8.73 times higher risk, than urban populations (RR 8.73, 95% CI 5.13-14.86). About 43% of injuries occurred between 12 noon and 6 pm. The newspapers reported 81 deaths during 2 days of electric storms in 2016. Lightning has been declared a natural disaster in Bangladesh. Conclusions: The current study indicates that lightning injuries are a public health problem in Bangladesh. The study recommends further investigations to develop interventions to reduce lightning injuries, mortality and related burden in Bangladesh.

Multiple introductions of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 viruses into Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Marinova-Petkova, Atanaska; Feeroz, Mohammed M; Rabiul Alam, SM; Kamrul Hasan, M; Akhtar, Sharmin; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Walker, David; McClenaghan, Laura; Rubrum, Adam; Franks, John; Seiler, Patrick; Jeevan, Trushar; McKenzie, Pamela; Krauss, Scott; Webby, Richard J; Webster, Robert G

2014-01-01

Highly pathogenic H5N1 and low pathogenic H9N2 influenza viruses are endemic to poultry markets in Bangladesh and have cocirculated since 2008. H9N2 influenza viruses circulated constantly in the poultry markets, whereas highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses occurred sporadically, with peaks of activity in cooler months. Thirty highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses isolated from poultry were characterized by antigenic, molecular, and phylogenetic analyses. Highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza viruses from clades 2.2.2 and 2.3.2.1 were isolated from live bird markets only. Phylogenetic analysis of the 30 H5N1 isolates revealed multiple introductions of H5N1 influenza viruses in Bangladesh. There was no reassortment between the local H9N2 influenza viruses and H5N1 genotype, despite their prolonged cocirculation. However, we detected two reassortant H5N1 viruses, carrying the M gene from the Chinese H9N2 lineage, which briefly circulated in the Bangladesh poultry markets and then disappeared. On the other hand, interclade reassortment occurred within H5N1 lineages and played a role in the genesis of the currently dominant H5N1 viruses in Bangladesh. Few ‘human-like' mutations in H5N1 may account for the limited number of human cases. Antigenically, clade 2.3.2.1 H5N1 viruses in Bangladesh have evolved since their introduction and are currently mainly homogenous, and show evidence of recent antigenic drift. Although reassortants containing H9N2 genes were detected in live poultry markets in Bangladesh, these reassortants failed to supplant the dominant H5N1 lineage. PMID:26038508

Exploring perceptions of common practices immediately following burn injuries in rural communities of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Biswas, Animesh; Abdullah, Abu Sayeed Md; Dalal, Koustuv; Deave, Toity; Rahman, Fazlur; Mashreky, Saidur Rahman

2018-06-18

Burns can be the most devastating injuries in the world, they constitute a global public health problem and cause widespread public health concern. Every year in Bangladesh more than 365,000 people are injured by electrical, thermal and other causes of burn injuries. Among them 27,000 need hospital admission and over 5600 people die. Immediate treatment and medication has been found to be significant in the success of recovering from a burn. However, common practices used in the treatment of burn injuries in the community is not well documented in Bangladesh. This study was designed to explore the perception of local communities in Bangladesh the common practices used and health-seeking behaviors sought immediately after a burn injury has occurred. A qualitative study was conducted using Focus Group Discussions (FGD) as the data collection method. Six unions of three districts in rural Bangladesh were randomly selected and FGDs were conducted in these districts with six burn survivors and their relatives and neighbours. Data were analyzed manually, codes were identified and the grouped into themes. The participants stated that burn injuries are common during the winter in Bangladesh. Inhabitants in the rural areas said that it was common practice, and correct, to apply the following to the injured area immediately after a burn: egg albumin, salty water, toothpaste, kerosene, coconut oil, cow dung or soil. Some also believed that applying water is harmful to a burn injury. Most participants did not know about any referral system for burn patients. They expressed their dissatisfaction about the lack of available health service facilities at the recommended health care centers at both the district level and above. In rural Bangladesh, the current first-aid practices for burn injuries are incorrect; there is a widely held belief that using water on burns is harmful.

Diversity and molecular phylogeny of mitochondrial DNA of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hasan, M Kamrul; Feeroz, M Mostafa; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Engel, Gregory A; Kanthaswamy, Sree; Smith, David Glenn

2014-11-01

While studies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) in the eastern (e.g., China) and western (e.g., India) parts of their geographic range have revealed major genetic differences that warrant the recognition of two different subspecies, little is known about genetic characteristics of rhesus macaques in the transitional zone extending from eastern India and Bangladesh through the northern part of Indo-China, the probable original homeland of the species. We analyzed genetic variation of 762 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA from 86 fecal swab samples and 19 blood samples from 25 local populations of rhesus macaque in Bangladesh collected from January 2010 to August 2012. These sequences were compared with those of rhesus macaques from India, China, and Myanmar. Forty-six haplotypes defined by 200 (26%) polymorphic nucleotide sites were detected. Estimates of gene diversity, expected heterozygosity, and nucleotide diversity for the total population were 0.9599 ± 0.0097, 0.0193 ± 0.0582, and 0.0196 ± 0.0098, respectively. A mismatch distribution of paired nucleotide differences yielded a statistically significantly negative value of Tajima's D, reflecting a population that rapidly expanded after the terminal Pleistocene. Most haplotypes throughout regions of Bangladesh, including an isolated region in the southwestern area (Sundarbans), clustered with haplotypes assigned to the minor haplogroup Ind-2 from India reflecting an east to west dispersal of rhesus macaques to India. Haplotypes from the southeast region of Bangladesh formed a cluster with those from Myanmar, and represent the oldest rhesus macaque haplotypes of Bangladesh. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that rhesus macaques first entered Bangladesh from the southeast, probably from Indo-China, then dispersed westward throughout eastern and central India. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Pattern of Road Traffic Injuries in Rural Bangladesh: Burden Estimates and Risk Factors.

PubMed

Ul Baset, Md Kamran; Rahman, Aminur; Alonge, Olakunle; Agrawal, Priyanka; Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Rahman, Fazlur

2017-11-07

Globally, road traffic injury (RTI) causes 1.3 million deaths annually. Almost 90% of all RTI deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. RTI is one of the leading causes of death in Bangladesh; the World Health Organization estimated that it kills over 21,000 people in the country annually. This study describes the current magnitude and risk factors of RTI for different age groups in rural Bangladesh. A household census was carried out in 51 unions of seven sub-districts situated in the north and central part of Bangladesh between June and November 2013, covering 1.2 million individuals. Trained data collectors collected information on fatal and nonfatal RTI events through face-to-face interviews using a set of structured pre-tested questionnaires. The recall periods for fatal and non-fatal RTI were one year and six months, respectively. The mortality and morbidity rates due to RTI were 6.8/100,000 population/year and 889/100,000 populations/six months, respectively. RTI mortality and morbidity rates were significantly higher among males compared to females. Deaths and morbidities due to RTI were highest among those in the 25-64 years age group. A higher proportion of morbidity occurred among vehicle passengers (34%) and pedestrians (18%), and more than one-third of the RTI mortality occurred among pedestrians. Twenty percent of all nonfatal RTIs were classified as severe injuries. RTI is a major public health issue in rural Bangladesh. Immediate attention is needed to reduce preventable deaths and morbidities in rural Bangladesh.

Peer Smoking and Smoking-related Beliefs Among College Students in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kamimura, Akiko; Ahmmad, Zobayer; Pye, Mu; Gull, Bethany

2018-01-01

Smoking is a significant public health issue in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to examine peer smoking and smoking-related beliefs among college students in Bangladesh. College students at two universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh participated in a self-administered survey in May and June 2017. First, being a current or former smoker is associated with lower levels of beliefs among respondents that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, and lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke, while current smokers and former smokers have different smoking-related beliefs. Second, having smoker friends is associated with lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke. Third, higher levels of normative beliefs that it is important not to smoke are associated with higher levels of beliefs that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, higher levels of intentions that they would not smoke, and higher levels of avoidance of smoking. Smoking-related beliefs and perceived norms in individuals' social networks are important components in promoting tobacco cessation in Bangladesh. But it is challenging to prevent or intervene in smoking because of the high rates of smoking in this country and the high prevalence of smokers in individuals' social networks. Future studies should examine the most effective interventions to combat smoking in high-smoking social networks, such as using mobile apps or social media, and evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions.

Peer Smoking and Smoking-related Beliefs Among College Students in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Ahmmad, Zobayer; Pye, Mu

2018-01-01

Objectives Smoking is a significant public health issue in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to examine peer smoking and smoking-related beliefs among college students in Bangladesh. Methods College students at two universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh participated in a self-administered survey in May and June 2017. Results First, being a current or former smoker is associated with lower levels of beliefs among respondents that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, and lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke, while current smokers and former smokers have different smoking-related beliefs. Second, having smoker friends is associated with lower levels of intentions that they would not smoke. Third, higher levels of normative beliefs that it is important not to smoke are associated with higher levels of beliefs that they would not smoke even with smoker friends or nervousness, higher levels of intentions that they would not smoke, and higher levels of avoidance of smoking. Conclusions Smoking-related beliefs and perceived norms in individuals’ social networks are important components in promoting tobacco cessation in Bangladesh. But it is challenging to prevent or intervene in smoking because of the high rates of smoking in this country and the high prevalence of smokers in individuals’ social networks. Future studies should examine the most effective interventions to combat smoking in high-smoking social networks, such as using mobile apps or social media, and evaluate the effectiveness of such interventions. PMID:29397641

Gender, Parenting, and Adolescent Functioning in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Sunita Mahtani; Bond, Michael Harris; Abdullah, Abu Saleh M.; Ma, Stefan S. L.

2000-01-01

Examined associations of self-esteem, relationship harmony, and academic achievement with perceptions of parents' styles and supervisory practices among 212 adolescents in Islamic Bangladesh. Found that parental supervisory practices were associated with a warm parental style for girls and parental dominating control for boys. Girls' (but not…

Quality of cyclone early warning services: a case study in remote off-shore island in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashrafi, Z. M.; Mahmud, S.; Mahbub, A. Q. M.

2015-12-01

Geographic location, the unique natural setting of the country and its tropical monsoon climate modify and regulate the climatic condition, makes Bangladesh more vulnerable to cyclones and storm surges. Previous studies have showed that 80-90 % of global losses and 53 % of total cyclone-related deaths worldwide, occur in Bangladesh and out of which, 42% of cyclone-caused deaths were recorded in the last two centuries. The Cyclone Preparedness Program (CPP) is a unique joint program under the initiative of Government of Bangladesh and Bangladesh Red Crescent Society that provides a robust cyclone early warning (CEW) system for the 13 coastal districts in Bangladesh. CPP ensures rapid dissemination of official Bangladesh Meteorological Department's CEW signals to these communities. However, inconsistent CEW services are reported in several of these coastal communities. This study offered the quality assessment of CPP CEW services in Nijhum Island, a highly populated remotely located off-shore island in Bangladesh. Primary rural appraisal (household survey, focus group discussion and expert interview) were used for field data collection and Likert scale, for data analysis. Study revealed that cyclone early warning signal dissemination were restricted to small area covering only 35 percent of the total population. Moreover, local inhabitants had very poor understanding about disseminated CEW signals (flag signaling system, signal number & severity) although CPP initiated several training program to build and raise awareness. Consequently, people remained inactive during cyclone and reluctant to seek shelter which resulted in lack of proper post-disaster management. Moreover, local people had concern regarding accuracy of CEW signals disseminated by CPP. To ensure last mile connectivity of CEW services, it is highly recommended that local people should be given more training and awareness on CEW signals and how to respond to the same.

Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum K13 propeller gene from Bangladesh (2009-2013).

PubMed

Mohon, Abu Naser; Alam, Mohammad Shafiul; Bayih, Abebe Genetu; Folefoc, Asongna; Shahinas, Dea; Haque, Rashidul; Pillai, Dylan R

2014-11-18

Bangladesh is a malaria hypo-endemic country sharing borders with India and Myanmar. Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) remains successful in Bangladesh. An increase of artemisinin-resistant malaria parasites on the Thai-Cambodia and Thai-Myanmar borders is worrisome. K13 propeller gene (PF3D7_1343700 or PF13_0238) mutations have been linked to both in vitro artemisinin resistance and in vivo slow parasite clearance rates. This group undertook to evaluate if mutations seen in Cambodia have emerged in Bangladesh where ACT use is now standard for a decade. Samples were obtained from Plasmodium falciparum-infected malaria patients from Upazila health complexes (UHC) between 2009 and 2013 in seven endemic districts of Bangladesh. These districts included Khagrachari (Matiranga UHC), Rangamati (Rajasthali UHC), Cox's Bazar (Ramu and Ukhia UHC), Bandarban (Lama UHC), Mymensingh (Haluaghat UHC), Netrokona (Durgapur and Kalmakanda UHC), and Moulvibazar (Sreemangal and Kamalganj UHC). Out of 296 microscopically positive P. falciparum samples, 271 (91.6%) were confirmed as mono-infections by both real-time PCR and nested PCR. The K13 propeller gene from 253 (93.4%) samples was sequenced bi-directionally. One non-synonymous mutation (A578S) was found in Bangladeshi clinical isolates. The A578S mutation was confirmed and lies adjacent to the C580Y mutation, the major mutation causing delayed parasite clearance in Cambodia. Based on computational modeling A578S should have a significant effect on tertiary structure of the protein. The data suggest that P. falciparum in Bangladesh remains free of the C580Y mutation linked to delayed parasite clearance. However, the mutation A578S is present and based on structural analysis could affect K13 gene function. Further in vivo clinical studies are required to validate the effect of this mutation.

Malaria Hotspots Drive Hypoendemic Transmission in the Chittagong Hill Districts of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Sabeena; Galagan, Sean; Scobie, Heather; Khyang, Jacob; Prue, Chai Shwai; Khan, Wasif Ali; Ram, Malathi; Alam, Mohammad Shafiul; Haq, M. Zahirul; Akter, Jasmin; Glass, Gregory; Norris, Douglas E.; Nyunt, Myaing Myaing; Shields, Timothy; Sullivan, David J.; Sack, David A.

2013-01-01

Background Malaria is endemic in 13 of 64 districts of Bangladesh, representing a population at risk of about 27 million people. The highest rates of malaria in Bangladesh occur in the Chittagong Hill Districts, and Plasmodium falciparum (predominately chloroquine resistant) is the most prevalent species. Methods The objective of this research was to describe the epidemiology of symptomatic P. falciparum malaria in an area of Bangladesh following the introduction of a national malaria control program. We carried out surveillance for symptomatic malaria due to P. falciparum in two demographically defined unions of the Chittagong Hill Districts in Bangladesh, bordering western Myanmar, between October 2009 and May 2012. The association between sociodemographics and temporal and climate factors with symptomatic P. falciparum infection over two years of surveillance data was assessed. Risk factors for infection were determined using a multivariate regression model. Results 472 cases of symptomatic P. falciparum malaria cases were identified among 23,372 residents during the study period. Greater than 85% of cases occurred during the rainy season from May to October, and cases were highly clustered geographically within these two unions with more than 80% of infections occurring in areas that contain approximately one-third of the total population. Risk factors statistically associated with infection in a multivariate logistic regression model were living in the areas of high incidence, young age, and having an occupation including jhum cultivation and/or daily labor. Use of long lasting insecticide-treated bed nets was high (89.3%), but its use was not associated with decreased incidence of infection. Conclusion Here we show that P. falciparum malaria continues to be hypoendemic in the Chittagong Hill Districts of Bangladesh, is highly seasonal, and is much more common in certain geographically limited hot spots and among certain occupations. PMID:23936345

Social and economic impact of diabetics in Bangladesh: protocol for a case–control study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Diabetes affects both individuals and their families and has an impact on economic and social development of a country. Information on the availability, cost, and quality of medical care for diabetes is mostly not available for many low- and middle-income countries including Bangladesh. Complications from diabetes, which can be devastating, could largely be prevented by wider use of several inexpensive generic medicines, simple tests and monitoring and can be a cost saving intervention. This study will provide an in-depth and comprehensive picture of social and economic impacts of diabetes in Bangladesh and propose clear recommendations for improving prevention and management of diabetes. The objectives of the study are: 1) To study the association between diabetes and other health problems and its social impacts 2) To estimate the economic impact of diabetes including total direct and indirect costs 3) To measure the impact of diabetes on quality of life among diabetes patients in Bangladesh 4) To study the impact of diabetes on the health care system Methods This is a case–control study comparing cases with type 2 diabetes to controls without diabetes matched on age, sex and place of residence. 564 cases and 564 controls will be selected from the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data on socioeconomic status, health utility index, direct and indirect costs for diabetes, medication adherence, quality of life, treatment satisfaction, diet, physical activity, mental state examination, weight, height, hip and waist circumference, blood pressure, pulse, medication history, laboratory data and physical examination will be conducted. Outcome measures: The primary outcome measures will be association between diabetes and other health problems, cost of diabetes, impact of diabetes on quality of life and secondary outcome measures are impact of diabetes on healthcare systems in Bangladesh. Discussion This study will provide an

Arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh: an analysis of institutional stakeholders' opinions.

PubMed

Khan, Nasreen Islam; Yang, Hong

2014-08-01

While Bangladesh made significant achievements in safe water coverage via installation of shallow tubewells (STWs) nationwide, this success was shattered by the discovery of arsenic (As) in the STWs. The extent and severity of As groundwater contamination throughout Bangladesh and its detrimental effects on human health are well known and demand long-term sustainable mitigation. It is an immensely complex and expensive task to bring tens of millions of arsenic exposed people under safe water coverage. While various mitigation measures have been undertaken by various organizations, most have not achieved their expected outcomes due to technical, spatial and socio-economic challenges. Better understanding of these challenges by institutional stakeholders is crucial for sustainable arsenic mitigation in Bangladesh. In this study, institutional stakeholders' opinions on various aspects of As mitigation were elicited to identify their preferences for and reservations of specific mitigation measures. The current status of As mitigation activities and the factors influencing the success of As mitigation were also explored. Institutional weakness, lack of accountability and a latency period were the major factors hindering sustainable As mitigation. The results also suggested that the stakeholders' understanding of the As problem and their preferences for the different mitigation measures have a significant impact on the effectiveness of As mitigation. Mitigation of As contamination is a complex issue that requires a coordinated effort from various levels of stakeholders. The concept of "paying for water", which is currently potentially unknown in the rural areas of Bangladesh, also needs to be developed as this will create a stronger sense of user ownership of As safe water and thus better water management. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Correlates of Unwanted Births in Bangladesh: A Study through Path Analysis.

PubMed

Roy, Tapan Kumar; Singh, Brijesh P

2016-01-01

Unwanted birth is an important public health concern due to its negative association with adverse outcomes of mothers and children as well as socioeconomic development of a country. Although a number of studies have been investigated the determinants of unwanted births through logistic regression analysis, an extensive assessment using path model is lacking. In the current study, we applied path analysis to know the important covariates for unwanted births in Bangladesh. The study used data extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011. It considered sub-sample consisted of 7,972 women who had given most recent births five years preceding the date of interview or who were currently pregnant at survey time. Correlation analysis was used to find out the significant association with unwanted births. This study provided the factors affecting unwanted births in Bangladesh. The path model was used to determine the direct, indirect and total effects of socio-demographic factors on unwanted births. The result exhibited that more than one-tenth of the recent births were unwanted in Bangladesh. The differentials of unwanted births were women's age, education, age at marriage, religion, socioeconomic status, exposure of mass-media and use of family planning. In correlation analysis, it showed that unwanted births were positively correlated with women age and place of residence and these relationships were significant. On the contrary, unwanted births were inversely significantly correlated with education and social status. The total effects of endogenous variables such as women age, place of residence and use of family planning methods had favorable effect on unwanted births. Policymakers and program planners need to design programs and services carefully to reduce unwanted births in Bangladesh, especially, service should focus on helping those groups of women who were identified in the analysis as being at increased risks of unwanted births- older women

Cultural and Economic Motivation of Pig Raising Practices in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nahar, Nazmun; Uddin, Main; Gurley, Emily S; Jahangir Hossain, M; Sultana, Rebeca; Luby, Stephen P

2015-12-01

The interactions that pig raisers in Bangladesh have with their pigs could increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Since raising pigs is a cultural taboo to Muslims, we aimed at understanding the motivation for raising pigs and resulting practices that could pose the risk of transmitting disease from pigs to humans in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country. These understandings could help identify acceptable strategies to reduce the risk of disease transmission from pigs to people. To achieve this objective, we conducted 34 in-depth interviews among pig herders and backyard pig raisers in eight districts of Bangladesh. Informants explained that pig raising is an old tradition, embedded in cultural and religious beliefs and practices, the primary livelihood of pig herders, and a supplemental income of backyard pig raisers. To secure additional income, pig raisers sell feces, liver, bile, and other pig parts often used as traditional medicine. Pig raisers have limited economic ability to change the current practices that may put them at risk of exposure to diseases from their pigs. An intervention that improves their financial situation and reduces the risk of zoonotic disease may be of interest to pig raisers.

Cultural and Economic Motivation of Pig Raising Practices in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Nahar, Nazmun; Uddin, Main; Gurley, Emily S.; Hossain, M. Jahangir; Sultana, Rebeca; Luby, Stephen P.

2015-01-01

The interactions that pig raisers in Bangladesh have with their pigs could increase the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. Since raising pigs is a cultural taboo to Muslims, we aimed at understanding the motivation for raising pigs and resulting practices that could pose the risk of transmitting disease from pigs to humans in Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country. These understandings could help identify acceptable strategies to reduce the risk of disease transmission from pigs to people. To achieve this objective, we conducted 34 in-depth interviews among pig herders and backyard pig raisers in eight districts of Bangladesh. Informants explained that pig raising is an old tradition, embedded in cultural and religious beliefs and practices, the primary livelihood of pig herders, and a supplemental income of backyard pig raisers. To secure additional income, pig raisers sell feces, liver, bile, and other pig parts often used as traditional medicine. Pig raisers have limited economic ability to change the current practices that may put them at risk of exposure to diseases from their pigs. An intervention that improves their financial situation and reduces the risk of zoonotic disease may be of interest to pig raisers. PMID:26122206

Recognizing Child Maltreatment in Bangladesh. Brief Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Naila Z.; Lynch, Margaret A.

1997-01-01

Highlights the range of cases of child abuse and neglect already being identified by professionals in Bangladesh. Also discusses the larger paradoxes revolving around child protection related to sociocultural practices and economic factors, including early marriage of girls, domestic child workers, and child labor in export factories. (CR)

Schooling and Educational Attainment: Evidence from Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maitra, Pushkar

2003-01-01

Examines educational attainment in Bangladesh using two different variables: current school enrollment and highest level of schooling attained. Finds that educational attainment of children is higher for females than for males and is positively associated with household income and parents' level of education (especially that of mothers). (Contains…

Teacher Educators' Attitude towards Computer: Perspective Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Mohammad Ataur

2011-01-01

This study examined how teacher educators perceive the attitude towards use of computer technology in Teachers' Training Colleges in Bangladesh. This study investigated teacher educators' computer attitudes by using the valid and reliable instruments of Loyd and Gressard's (1984) Computer Attitude Scale (CAS). The data was collected through …

Molecular characterization of foot-and-mouth disease virus: implications for disease control in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Loth, L; Osmani, M G; Kalam, M A; Chakraborty, R K; Wadsworth, J; Knowles, N J; Hammond, J M; Benigno, C

2011-06-01

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is endemic in Bangladesh, and to implement an effective FMD control programme, it is essential to understand the complex epidemiology of the disease. Here, we report on the characterization of FMD virus (FMDV) recovered from FMD outbreaks in Bangladesh in late 2009. All isolated viruses belonged to the FMDV serotype O. The phylogenetic reconstruction showed that all isolates belonged to the Middle East-South Asia (ME-SA) topotype, but fell into two distinct sublineages, one named Ind-2001 (the other has not been named). Within both sublineages, the 2009 Bangladesh isolates were most closely related to viruses from Nepal collected during 2008 and 2009. Additionally, both sublineages contained older viruses from India collected in 2000 and 2001. In South Asia, there is extensive cross-border cattle movement from Nepal and India to Bangladesh. Both these findings have implications for the control of FMD in Bangladesh. Because of the porous borders, a regional FMD control strategy should be developed. Further, animal identification and monitoring animal movements are necessary to identify the cross-border movements and market chain interactions of ruminants, leading to improved border and movement controls. Additionally, a vaccination strategy should be developed with the initial objective of protecting small-scale dairy herds from disease. For any successful FMD control programme, long-term Government commitment and adequate resources are necessary. A sustainable programme will also need farmer education, commitment and financial contributions. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Nutrition transition in Bangladesh: is the country ready for this double burden.

PubMed

Khan, Shusmita Hossain; Talukder, Shamim Hayder

2013-11-01

Malnutrition has dominated Bangladesh development, encouraged by the Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Programme under the first Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp) World Health Organization, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. To date, all the SWAps for health, nutrition and population well-being have identified malnutrition as a priority. Donors, United Nations organizations and non-governmental organizations provide extensive support to prevent and tackle malnutrition in the country. The government has delineated an effective policy response to the high prevalence of undernutrition. Bangladesh has a wide range of policies encouraging appropriate infant and young child feeding practices, 6 months of paid maternity leave in the public sector, school meals for vulnerable communities, micronutrient supplementation interventions and more. However, almost all of these efforts address the undernutrition aspect of malnutrition, neglecting the other form of malnutrition - overnutrition. Trend data from national surveys show steady increases in overweight and steady decreases in underweight among women of reproductive age. This paper sheds light on the trend data, showing the transition from under- to overnutrition and the double burden of malnutrition among Bangladeshi women of reproductive age. It also discusses the national policy and programme responses to overweight and obesity in Bangladesh among the same population. © 2013 The Authors. Obesity Reviews published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Unexpected genomic relationships between Bacillus anthracis strains from Bangladesh and Central Europe.

PubMed

Rume, Farzana Islam; Ahsan, Chowdhury Rafiqul; Biswas, Paritosh Kumar; Yasmin, Mahmuda; Braun, Peter; Walter, Mathias C; Antwerpen, Markus; Grass, Gregor; Hanczaruk, Matthias

2016-11-01

The zoonosis anthrax caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis has a broad geographical distribution. Active enzootic areas are typically located away from central and northern Europe where cases of the disease occur only sporadically and in limited numbers. In contrast, a few out of the 64 districts of Bangladesh are hyper-endemic for anthrax and there the disease causes major losses in live-stock. In this study we genotyped eight strains of B. anthracis collected from the districts of Sirajganj and Tangail in 2013. All these strains belonged to canSNP group A.Br.001/002 Sterne differing only in a few of 31 tandem-repeat (MLVA)-markers. Whole genome sequences were obtained from five of these strains and compared with genomic information of B. anthracis strains originating from various geographical locations. Characteristic signatures were detected defining two "Bangladesh" clusters potentially useful for rapid molecular epidemiology. From this data high-resolution PCR assays were developed and subsequently tested on additional isolates from Bangladesh and Central Europe. Remarkably, this comparative genomic analysis focusing on SNP-discovery revealed a close genetic relationship between these strains from Bangladesh and historic strains collected between 1991 and 2008 in The Netherlands and Germany, respectively. Possible explanations for these phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bangladesh: currently the worst, but possibly the future's best.

PubMed

Brown, Garrett

2015-02-01

Garment workers in Bangladesh producing clothing for international brands have experienced repeated factory fires and building collapses in the last 10 years, resulting in more than 1,600 deaths and hundreds of disabling injuries. After the Tazreen Fashion fire in December 2012 and the Rana Plaza building collapse in April 2013, more than 190 international clothing brands and retailers signed an "Accord on Fire and Building Safety" with two international union federations. Full implementation of the provisions of the Accord would change "business as usual" in Bangladesh's garment industry and set a positive example for other countries and other industries with global supply chains. The components, challenges, and controversies of the Accord are detailed in the article. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Institutional and Community Perceptions of Distance Education in Bangladesh: Preparing for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aktaruzzaman, Md; Plunkett, Margaret

2017-01-01

Bangladesh Open University (BOU), the sole distributor of distance education (DE) in Bangladesh, is regarded as one of the mega universities in the world. Nonetheless, the institution faces numerous issues and challenges that revolve around not only its administrative and academic operations, but also the lack of acknowledgement of its…

Providing sex education to adolescents in rural Bangladesh: experiences from BRAC.

PubMed

Rashid, S F

2000-07-01

In 1995, the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee set up an Adolescent Reproductive Health Education (ARHE) program to provide information about reproductive health to adolescents in rural areas. This article explores the impact of the ARHE on adolescent girls and boys, their parents, and community members among rural areas in Bangladesh. Drawing on data from the field research conducted among the target audience, it is noted that ARHE has mobilized the community. It helped break the silence and shame about sensitive topics, such as menstruation, family planning methods, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS. Subsequently, these developments have affected relationships between adolescents and their parents, and among adolescents themselves. Moreover, the diffusion of knowledge as a result of the ARHE is occurring in the context of a wider process affecting rural areas of Bangladesh, involving the media, books, exposure to urban and nontraditional ways of life, and schooling. The need for additional research, with a greater focus on adolescents who participate in the program and go on to marry, is highlighted.

Gender Disparities in Secondary Education in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huq, Molla; Rahman, Pk Md. Motiur

2008-01-01

Enrolment and success rates are very crucial for any educational system in the world but they are more important for the developing countries like Bangladesh. Gender differences in enrolment and success rates are also emerging issues. This study investigated the enrolment and success rate's status in secondary educational system of Bangladesh…

Taxonomic confirmation of mud crab species (genus Scylla) in Bangladesh by nuclear and mitochondrial DNA markers.

PubMed

Sarower, Mohammed Golam; Shahriar, Sheik Istiak Md; Nakamura, Hiromasa; Rouf, Muhammad Abdur; Okada, Shigeru

2017-11-01

Taxonomy of mud crabs genus Scylla has been misidentified for several years due to their high morphological plasticity. Several reports concerning mud crab have been published with misleading identification in Bangladesh. In this study, partial fragments of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA of Scylla species obtained from four locations along the Bangladesh coast were used to resolve taxonomical ambiguity of mud crab species. A single PCR product from the nuclear first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) marker and phylogenetic trees constructed based on 16S rDNA sequences indicated that all Scylla species obtained in this study were S. olivacea. Both molecular data and morphological characters revealed that S. olivacea is the only major species in Bangladesh coastal waters. Further, the 16S rDNA haplotypes significantly differed with known S. serrata by 33%. From this study it is clear that 'S. serrata' commonly reported from Bangladesh should be S. olivacea.

The role of women's employment programmes in influencing fertility regulation in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mahmud, S

1994-01-01

This study compares fertility control among women participating in income-generation programs and among a socioeconomically similar comparison group in Bangladesh. Interviews were conducted among a sample of about 100 currently married women from each of four income-generation programs in Bangladesh: the government's Women's Program of the Bangladesh Rural Development Board (BRDB), the Women's Entrepreneurship Development Program of Bangladesh's Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC), the Grameen Bank, and the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) Women's Program. There were 417 women in the sample and 389 women in the comparison group. These programs provided credit to women for activities, such as paddy husking and poultry keeping. The BSCIC did not provide any direct or indirect family planning input. The BRDB encouraged women to use modern contraceptives. The Grameen and BRAC educated participants about the benefits of small families. Three groups, with the exception of BRAC, used women's groups. The sample group had almost eight times the average household income of the comparison group. About 20% of the sample group were engaged in nontraditional activities. Almost 20% worked outside the home. 18% were engaged in wage work. Over 40% worked more than 5 hours per day. 75% were members of informal groups. The sample and comparison groups differed in the context of productive work and contraceptive use. Multivariate findings show strong support for the direct and significant effect of employment programs on fertility-regulating behavior of poor respondents. Nongovernmental groups with a women's group approach were more effective in raising income levels and physical mobility. The BSCIC had much lower contraceptive prevalence. Program participants had higher sterilization rates, but actual fertility was also higher.

Surveillance of avian influenza virus type A in semi-scavenging ducks in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Ducks are the natural reservoir of influenza A virus and the central host for highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), while domestic ducks rearing in semi-scavenging system could serve as re-assortment vessels for re-emerging new subtypes of influenza viruses between birds to human. Avian influenza virus (AIV) surveillance in Bangladesh has been passive, relying on poultry farmers to report suspected outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 influenza. Here, the results of an active surveillance effort focusing on the semi-scavenging ducks are presented. Result A total of 2100 cloacal swabs and 2100 sera were collected from semi-scavenging ducks from three wintering-sites of Bangladesh during three successive winter seasons, December through February in the years between 2009 and 2012. Virus isolation and identification were carried out from the cloacal swabs by virus propagation in embryonated hen eggs followed by amplification of viral RNA using Avian influenza virus (AIV) specific RT-PCR. The overall prevalence of avian influenza type A was 22.05% for swab samples and 39.76% ducks were sero-positive for avian influenza type A antibody. Extremely low sero-prevalence (0.09%) of AIV H5N1 was detected. Conclusions Based on our surveillance results, we conclude that semi-scavenging ducks in Bangladesh might play important role in transmitting Avian Influenza virus (AIV) type A. However, the current risk of infection for humans from domestic ducks in Bangladesh is negligible. We believe that this relatively large dataset over three winters in Bangladesh might create a strong foundation for future studies of AIV prevalence, evolution, and ecology in wintering sites around the globe. PMID:24099526

Determinants of Shallow Groundwater As Variability in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radloff, K. A.; Zheng, Y.; Stute, M.; Rahman, M.; Mihajlov, I.; Siu, H.; Huq, M.; Choudhury, I.; Ahmed, K.; van Geen, A.

2010-12-01

Manually operated tube wells that tap into shallow aquifers remain a critical source of untreated drinking water in south Asia and an estimated 37 million people are still exposed to elevated levels of As in Bangladesh(1). This field effort sought to address two questions. What mechanisms control the partitioning of As between groundwater and sediment? How does groundwater transport affect the spatial variability of dissolved As? Understanding the source of groundwater variability is essential for understanding how [As] will change with time, especially as Bangladesh and its water demands develop. Arsenic mobility and transport within the shallow aquifer was investigated at a 0.5 km2 site where [As] increases from <5 to 600 μg/L over 300 m as the aquifer becomes increasingly reducing. Aquifer recharge occurs in the raised, sandy village, where low [As] and elevated [SO4] are found. Until a few years ago, the net groundwater flow extended from the village, beneath a thickening silty layer covered by agricultural fields, towards a small stream. The sediments, however, were a homogenous, highly reduced sand throughout the site. Arsenic adsorption along this transect was investigated by two different approaches. Despite the geochemical gradients along the transect, adsorption of As under anaerobic conditions measured by spiking freshly collected sediment was remarkably uniform: Kd = 1.5 ± 0.5 L/kg, at 14 of 15 locations. Push- pull tests were used to alter groundwater [As] surrounding a well, without disturbing the sediment. The aquifer responded to the imposed dis-equilibrium by either adsorbing or desorbing As within a few days. These results provide further evidence that groundwater [As] is controlled by As sorption reactions with the sediment that reach equilibrium rapidly compared to the time scale of groundwater flow. A simple reactive-transport model for the site based on the measured partitioning coefficient, Kd, however, supports the notion that the [As

Why does Bangladesh remain so poor? Part I: the situation and efforts to change it.

PubMed

Maloney, C

1985-01-01

This 1st part of the discussion of the poverty in Bangladesh reviews efforts on the part of individuals, donor agencies, and the government to alleviate poverty, and some goals of the new Third Five Year Plan. More than 3/4 of the people of Bangladesh live in poverty or close to it, according to development and economic criteria. Bangladesh society has hardly any parallel in the world if viewed from the perspective of its capacity, like a biological species, to adapt to an ecological niche and then reproduce to fill that niche. This defines success in biological terms. The Bangladesh society that developed was highly in tune with the natural environment of the rice growing plains. Social organization, kinship, settlement pattern, economic transactions, beliefs systems, and reproductive biology all developed in close symbiosis with the land. From a humanitarian perspective, Bangladesh is also highly successful. The human interaction, the expressive culture, the fullness of life, and the verbal arts all are more fully expressed than in many cultures. By "development" criteria, Bangladesh appears highly unsuccessful. Per capita income is about $130 a year. Bangladesh ranks very low in such indices as literacy, housing, roads, health services, infant survival, loan recovery, exportable goods, and control of the population growth rate. There is no question but that individuals usually are well aware if their situation is precarious, and they take rational action to improve their security; the government and private agencies have a multitude of programs aimed at alleviating poverty. For Bangladesh as a whole, domestic savings in 1984-85 was 8%, and during the Second Five Year Plan the rate of domestic savings increased faster than was expected, compared with income. Almost all the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), many bilateral donor agencies, and huge segments of government target their efforts to the poor and the small farmers. There are over 150 NGOs of

Bangladesh women report postpartum health problems.

PubMed

Goodburn, L

1994-02-01

The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee conducted operational research in Bangladesh to examine postpartum health problems. Researchers conducted focus groups, indepth interviews, and observation. More than 40% of the postpartum women had a delivery-related health problem by 2 weeks after delivery. 52% had signs or symptoms of anemia. Body needs after pregnancy, lactation, and blood loss during delivery exacerbate the nutritional anemia common to Bangladeshi women. 17% of the postpartum women had signs of infections. More than 50% had severe malnutrition, worsened by food taboos during the postpartum period. 60% of infant deaths occur in the neonatal period. The mortality risk is elevated in low birth weight (LBW) infants. In this study, more than 50% of the newborns were LBW infants. Many Bangladeshi mothers discard the colostrum and begin breast feeding several days after delivery. 11% of the postpartum women had breast problem (e.g., cracked nipples). Women believed that susceptibility to evil spirits accounted for their being more vulnerable to health problems during the postpartum. They feared leaving the household. These findings show a need for home visits to provide valuable postpartum care.

The State of Essential Newborn Care by Delivery Location in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kim, Eunsoo Timothy; Singh, Kavita

2017-11-01

Introduction Essential newborn care (ENC) around the time of birth is critical in improving neonatal survival. There is currently a gap in our knowledge of the use of ENC by place of delivery in Bangladesh. This study assesses the provision of ENC and examines the odds of newborns receiving ENC by different levels of delivery care in Bangladesh. Methods Descriptive statistics and logistic regressions were performed on ENC practices from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey dataset. ENC practices included nonapplication of substances to the cord; application of antiseptic to the cord; drying newborn within 5 min; wrapping newborn within 5 min; delaying first bath until the first 72 h; and breastfeeding within 1 h. Key predictors included home delivery with a lay attendant, delivery with primary healthcare services and delivery with higher-level healthcare services. Results Coverage of ENC practices was low. Women who delivered with primary and higher-level healthcare services generally reported greater odds of their newborns receiving recommended ENC than women who had home delivery with a lay attendant, the referent category. However, the odds of delayed first bath until 72 h and breastfeeding within 1 h were not statistically different for newborns who were delivered with primary healthcare services. Discussion These findings have significant public health implications as primary healthcare facilities are the first point of entry into the healthcare system. Provision of ENC, particularly delayed first bath until 72 h and breastfeeding within 1 h, should be encouraged for all healthy mother-newborn pairs in Bangladesh.

Women Empowerment and Its Relation with Health Seeking Behavior in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Mainuddin, AKM; Ara Begum, Housne; Rawal, Lal B.; Islam, Anwar; Shariful Islam, SM

2015-01-01

Objective: Over the last few decades, Bangladesh has made significant progress towards achieving targets for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and women empowerment. This study is aimed at identifying the levels and patterns of women empowerment in relation to health seeking behavior in Bangladesh. Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 200 rural married women in Cox’s Bazar district in Bangladesh using multi stage sampling technique and face-to-face interview. Data was collected on socio-economic characteristics, proxy indicators for women empowerment in mobility and health seeking behavior related decision making. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify associations between women empowerment in relation to health seeking behavior on mobility and decision making, controlling the effect of other independent variables. Results: The results showed that only 12% women were empowered to decide on their own about seeking healthcare and 8.5% in healthcare seeking for their children. In multivariate analysis women empowerment in health seeking behavior was higher among age group 25-34 years (OR 1.76, [CI = 0.82-3.21]), women’s education, husband’s education, age at marriage > 18 years (OR 6.38, [CI = 0.98-4.21]) and women’s working status (OR 16.44, [CI = 0.79-2.71]). Conclusion: Women empowerment enhances their decision-making authority regarding health seeking behavior. Acknowledging and adopting the implications of these findings are essential for an integrated health and development strategy for Bangladesh and achieving the MDGs. PMID:26175761

Community resources and reproductive behaviour in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Saha, T D

1994-03-01

Local community impact on contraceptive usage is illustrated in this logistic model of contraceptive behavior in 1986 in rural Bangladesh. Variables include an index of accessibility and availability of family planning (FP) at the "thana" level, age of respondent, respondent's educational level, desire to have a child, distance from the district, rural electrification, an index of agricultural wages and percentage of small farm households, and presence of a mosque. Community-level variables are found to be significant in separate equations and in equations with individual level variables. Contraceptive use is more likely to occur in a rural situation where there are commercial places such as market places and post offices. Contraceptive use is enhanced by "thana" closeness to district headquarters. Reduced contraceptive use is related to rural areas with many small farm households and a high agricultural wage rate. Access to FP provides a positive environment for improving motivation to use contraception and for improving use of modern methods. The degree of rural isolation negatively impacts on contraceptive use. Bangladesh is one of the few countries with a comprehensive development program at the sub-district level or "thana." Health centers and family welfare centers are established but are unevenly distributed spatially. Data for this study were obtained from the 1985 Bangladesh Contraceptive Prevalence Survey of 7681 rural women aged under 50 years, from the 1983 Agricultural Census on farm land, and from other statistical publications. Information was obtained on 120 "thanas." Contraceptive use status is measured as use, nonuse, modern use, traditional use, intention to use, and nonintention to use. The religious variable is negative, as expected, but not significant for contraceptive use and intention to use. The sign is positive for modern contraceptive use. Closer examination reveals that respondents with no education and with no household land are more

Exposure to tobacco smoke among adults in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Palipudi, Krishna Mohan; Sinha, Dhirendra N; Choudhury, Sohel; Mustafa, Zaman; Andes, Linda; Asma, Samira

2011-01-01

To examine exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) at home, in workplace, and in various public places in Bangladesh. Data from 2009 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) conducted in Bangladesh was analyzed. The data consists of 9,629 respondents from a nationally representative multi-stage probability sample of adults aged 15 years and above. Exposure to second-hand smoke was defined as respondents who reported being exposed to tobacco smoke in the following locations: Indoor workplaces, homes, government building or office, health care facilities, public transportation, schools, universities, restaurants, and cafes, coffee shops or tea houses. Exposure to tobacco smoke in these places was examined by gender across various socioeconomic and demographic sub-groups that include age, residence, education and wealth index using SPSS 17.0 for complex samples. The study shows high prevalence of SHS exposure at home and in workplace and in public places. Exposure to SHS among adults was reported high at home (54.9%) (male-58.2% and female-51.7%), in workplace (63%) (male-67.8% and female-30.4%), and in any public place (57.8%) (male-90.4% and female-25.1%) 30 days preceding the survey. Among the public places examined exposure was low in the educational institutions (schools-4.3%) and health care facilities (5.8%); however, exposure was high in public transportation (26.3%), and restaurants (27.6%). SHS exposure levels at home, in workplace and public places were varied widely across various socioeconomic and demographic sub-groups. Exposure was reported high in settings having partial ban as compared to settings having a complete ban. Following the WHO FCTC and MPOWER measures, strengthening smoke-free legislation may further the efforts in Bangladesh towards creating and enforcing 100% smoke-free areas and educating the public about the dangers of SHS. Combining these efforts can have a complementary effect on protecting the people from hazardous effect of SHS as well as

Statistical characterization of arsenic contamination in shallow tube wells of western Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Faisal; Bagtzoglou, Amvrossios C.; Nahar, Nurun; Delawer Hossain, M.

2006-04-01

A regional assessment of the arsenic (As) contamination scenario in shallow tube wells (depth < 150 m) of western Bangladesh is presented. Comparisons are made in light of bulk geological differences (Pleistocene versus Holocene deposits/northwest versus southwest) and As measurement protocols (field kit (FK) versus atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS)). Our As database comprised the following: (1) the nationwide As survey completed in 1999 by the British Geological Survey in collaboration with the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE); and (2) a regional As survey conducted in southwest Bangladesh by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in collaboration with DPHE in 2002. First, we characterize the error structure of the semi-quantitative FK As measurements using collocated AAS As measurements as reference from a set of 307 wells located in southwest Bangladesh. The depth distribution of As is identified using a very dense cluster of 2963 wells over a 560 km2 domain. The probability of the FK method for successful detection of a well sample as unsafe (safe) was found to be 96.9% (34.1%) and 95.2% (80.3%) for the World Health Organization (WHO) and Bangladesh safe limits, respectively. Similarly, the probability of false alarms and false hopes for WHO (Bangladesh) safe limits were found to be 3.1% (4.8%) and 87.5% (19.7%), respectively. The depth at which the highest fraction of wells exceeding a given safe limit occurred could still be inferred correctly by FK measurements. A simple bias adjustment procedure on FK As data did not result in a more accurate characterization of depth distribution of As. This indicated that simple error statistics are inadequate for advancing the utility of FKs; rather, an understanding of the complex and multidimensional error structure is required. Regional anisotropy in the spatial dependence of As for the northwest was found to be stronger than the southwest. The correlation length for As concentration in the east

Evaluating the genetic impact of South and Southeast Asia on the peopling of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sultana, Gazi Nurun Nahar; Sharif, Mohd Istiaq; Asaduzzaman, Md; Chaubey, Gyaneshwer

2015-11-01

Despite rapidly growing understandings and dependency on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), highly variable autosomal short tandem repeats (STRs) are still regarded as the most established method to differentiate individuals at forensic level. Here with large number of various ethnic groups we undertook this study to reveal the genetic structure of the most densely populated part of South Asia i.e. the Bangladesh. The purpose of this work was to estimate population parameters based on the allele frequencies obtained for 15 polymorphic autosomal STR loci investigated in caste and tribal populations from Bangladesh (n=706). We compared the results in a broader context by merging 24 different populations of Asia to pertain their affinity. Various statistical analyses suggested a clear cut demarcation of tribal and non-tribal in Bangladesh. Moreover, beside the phylogenetic structure of the studied populations, it is found that the mean heterozygosity value was highest among the populations of Bangladesh, likely because of gene flow from different directions. However, Tonchangya, Adi and Khumi showed sign of genetic isolation and reduced diversity, possibly as a result of genetic drift and/or strong founder effects working on small endogamous populations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor analysis of some socio-economic and demographic variables for Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, S M

1986-01-01

The author carries out an exploratory factor analysis of some socioeconomic and demographic variables for Bangladesh using the classical or common factor approach with the varimax rotation method. The socioeconomic and demographic indicators used in this study include literacy, rate of growth, female employment, economic development, urbanization, population density, childlessness, sex ratio, proportion of women ever married, and fertility. The 18 administrative districts of Bangladesh constitute the unit of analysis. 3 common factors--modernization, fertility, and social progress--are identified in this study to explain the correlations among the set of selected socioeconomic and demographic variables.

Educational Access in Bangladesh. Country Policy Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Manzoor

2008-01-01

This Policy Brief describes and explains patterns of access to schooling in Bangladesh. It outlines types of educational provision and provides some basic statistics on access, vulnerability and exclusion, as well as insights into the characteristics of those denied access. It is based on findings from the "Country Analytic Review on Access…

What makes children with cerebral palsy vulnerable to malnutrition? Findings from the Bangladesh cerebral palsy register (BCPR).

PubMed

Jahan, Israt; Muhit, Mohammad; Karim, Tasneem; Smithers-Sheedy, Hayley; Novak, Iona; Jones, Cheryl; Badawi, Nadia; Khandaker, Gulam

2018-04-16

To assess the nutritional status and underlying risk factors for malnutrition among children with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh. We used data from the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register; a prospective population based surveillance of children with cerebral palsy aged 0-18 years in a rural subdistrict of Bangladesh (i.e., Shahjadpur). Socio-demographic, clinical and anthropometric measurements were collected using Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register record form. Z scores were calculated using World Health Organization Anthro and World Health Organization AnthroPlus software. A total of 726 children with cerebral palsy were registered into the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register (mean age 7.6 years, standard deviation 4.5, 38.1% female) between January 2015 and December 2016. More than two-third of children were underweight (70.0%) and stunted (73.1%). Mean z score for weight for age, height for age and weight for height were -2.8 (standard deviation 1.8), -3.1 (standard deviation 2.2) and -1.2 (standard deviation 2.3) respectively. Moderate to severe undernutrition (i.e., both underweight and stunting) were significantly associated with age, monthly family income, gross motor functional classification system and neurological type of cerebral palsy. The burden of undernutrition is high among children with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh which is augmented by both poverty and clinical severity. Enhancing clinical nutritional services for children with cerebral palsy should be a public health priority in Bangladesh. Implications for Rehabilitation Population-based surveillance data on nutritional status of children with cerebral palsy in Bangladesh indicates substantially high burden of malnutrition among children with CP in rural Bangladesh. Children with severe form of cerebral palsy, for example, higher Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level, tri/quadriplegic cerebral palsy presents the highest proportion of severe malnutrition; hence, these

Development policy and the projects for fertility decline in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Cain, M; Lieberman, S S

1983-09-01

This paper reviews Bangladesh's government policy and suggests which development measures other than family planning services would increase contraceptive usage. It develops a framework for policy analysis by reviewing the fertility determinants literature in general, and that on Bangladesh. Conventional approaches, based on demographic transition theory (which presupposes economic development in the Third World will follow the historical path of the West, with attendant rates of urbanization and industrialization) and the microeconomic theory of consumer choice (whereby costs of children are measured only in the context of the internal workings of the household without regard to outside influences) are rejected in favor of an institutional framework, which emphasizes the productive value of children in the context of the institutional underpinnings of the costs and benefits of children. The analysis identifies the extremely harsh environment of risk, and the absence of effective forms of risk insurance, as crucial to understanding the persistence of Bangladesh's high fertility. It concludes that to ensure the country's fertility transition, the positive reproductive incentive associated with children as insurance against risk must be eliminated or reduced. Therefore policies with the greatest impact on reproductive behavior would either alter the environment of risk or introduce other effective means of adjusting to risk. Among the components of the development program in the Second Five Year Plan, rural public employment measures hold the greatest promise for reducing fertility. Such current initiatives have had program limitations, such as relief rather than long-term orientation and bottlenecks in communication and transportation. However, these efforts form a basis for developing a policy of guaranteed public works employment. This policy's potential flexibility, broad base, and success in other parts of South Asia (particularly Maharashtra State, India) make

Factors limiting the health of semi-scavenging ducks in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hoque, M A; Skerratt, L F; Cook, A J C; Khan, S A; Grace, D; Alam, M R; Vidal-Diez, A; Debnath, N C

2011-02-01

Duck rearing is well suited to coastal and lowland areas in Bangladesh. It is an important component of sustainable livelihood strategies for poor rural communities as an additional source of household income. An epidemiological study was conducted during January 2005-June 2006 on 379 households in Chatkhil of the Noakhali District, Bangladesh which were using the recently devised "Bangladesh duck model". The overall objective of the study was to identify factors that significantly contributed to mortality and constrained productivity and to generate sufficient knowledge to enable establishment of a disease surveillance system for household ducks. The overall mortality was 15.0% in Chatkhil, with predation causing a significantly higher mortality compared with diseases (p < 0.001). Common diseases were duck plague and duck cholera. Morbid ducks frequently displayed signs associated with diseases affecting the nervous and digestive systems. Haemorrhagic lesions in various organs and white multiple foci on the liver were frequently observed in dead ducks. Epidemiological analysis with a shared frailty model that accounted for clustering of data by farm was used to estimate the association between survival time and risk factors. The overall mortality rate due to disease was significantly lower in vaccinated than in non-vaccinated ducks in all zones except zone 2 (p < 0.001). Only vaccinated ducks survived in zone 1. In conclusion, duck mortality and untimely sale of ducks appeared to be important constraints for household duck production in Chatkhil. Vaccination against duck plague appears to be an effective preventive strategy in reducing the level of associated duck mortality. A successful network was established amongst farmers and the surveillance team through which dead ducks, with accompanying information, were readily obtained for analysis. Therefore, there is an opportunity for establishing a long-term disease surveillance programme for rural ducks in Chatkhil

Human health risks and socio-economic perspectives of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh: A scoping review.

PubMed

Rahman, M Azizur; Rahman, A; Khan, M Zaved Kaiser; Renzaho, Andre M N

2018-04-15

Arsenic contamination of drinking water, which can occur naturally or because of human activities such as mining, is the single most important public health issue in Bangladesh. Fifty out of the 64 districts in the country have arsenic concentration of groundwater exceeding 50µgL -1 , the Bangladeshi threshold, affecting 35-77 million people or 21-48% of the total population. Chronic arsenic exposure through drinking water and other dietary sources is an important public health issue worldwide affecting hundreds of millions of people. Consequently, arsenic poisoning has attracted the attention of researchers and has been profiled extensively in the literature. Most of the literature has focused on characterising arsenic poisoning and factors associated with it. However, studies examining the socio-economic aspects of chronic exposure of arsenic through either drinking water or foods remain underexplored. The objectives of this paper are (i) to review arsenic exposure pathways to humans; (ii) to summarise public health impacts of chronic arsenic exposure; and (iii) to examine socio-economic implications and consequences of arsenicosis with a focus on Bangladesh. This scoping review evaluates the contributions of different exposure pathways by analysing arsenic concentrations in dietary and non-dietary sources. The socio-economic consequences of arsenicosis disease in Bangladesh are discussed in this review by considering food habits, nutritional status, socio-economic conditions, and socio-cultural behaviours of the people of the country. The pathways of arsenic exposure in Bangladesh include drinking water, various plant foods and non-dietary sources such as soil. Arsenic affected people are often abandoned by the society, lose their jobs and get divorced and are forced to live a sub-standard life. The fragile public health system in Bangladesh has been burdened by the management of thousands of arsenicosis victims in Bangladesh. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc

Fifteen years of sector-wide approach (SWAp) in Bangladesh health sector: an assessment of progress

PubMed Central

Ahsan, Karar Zunaid; Streatfield, Peter Kim; Ijdi, Rashida -E-; Escudero, Gabriela Maria; Khan, Abdul Waheed; Reza, M M

2016-01-01

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW) of the Government of Bangladesh embarked on a sector-wide approach (SWAp) modality for the health, nutrition and population (HNP) sector in 1998. This programmatic shift initiated a different set of planning disciplines and practices along with institutional changes in the MOHFW. Over the years, the SWAp modality has evolved in Bangladesh as the MOHFW has learnt from its implementation and refined the program design. This article explores the progress made, both in terms of achievement of health outcomes and systems strengthening results, since the implementation of the SWAp for Bangladesh’s health sector. Secondary analyses of survey data from 1993 to 2011 as well as a literature review of published and grey literature on health SWAp in Bangladesh was conducted for this assessment. Results of the assessment indicate that the MOHFW made substantial progress in health outcomes and health systems strengthening. SWAps facilitated the alignment of funding and technical support around national priorities, and improved the government’s role in program design as well as in implementation and development partner coordination. Notable systemic improvements have taken place in the country systems with regards to monitoring and evaluation, procurement and service provision, which have improved functionality of health facilities to provide essential care. Implementation of the SWAp has, therefore, contributed to an accelerated improvement in key health outcomes in Bangladesh over the last 15 years. The health SWAp in Bangladesh offers an example of a successful adaptation of such an approach in a complex administrative structure. Based on the lessons learned from SWAp implementation in Bangladesh, the MOHFW needs to play a stronger stewardship and regulatory role to reap the full benefits of a SWAp in its subsequent programming. PMID:26582744

The Role of Training in Reducing Poverty: The Case of the Ultra-Poor in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khan, Mohammad Aktaruzzaman; Ali, Anees Janee

2014-01-01

Although microcredit is considered the main vehicle for increasing the income of the poor and alleviating poverty in Bangladesh, it is now well recognised that more than this is needed to reach the ultra poor in rural areas. Consequently, almost half of the Bangladesh population is in some way linked to non-governmental organizations' development…

Value of Play as An Early Learning Instrument in Bangladesh Context: A Socio-Cultural Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Nurun Nahar; Rivalland, Corine

2012-01-01

In early childhood education the dominant discourse of play-based pedagogy is greatly influenced by a western play approach. This paper examines how play is valued as early learning in Bangladesh. It reports on a qualitative study that explored the understandings of four parents and four early childhood educators in semi-rural Bangladesh. Findings…

Potentiality of Disaster Management Education through Open and Distance Learning System in Bangladesh Open University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmad, Saima; Numan, Sharker Md.

2015-01-01

Bangladesh Open University (BOU) is the only public educational institution in Bangladesh, where, a dual-mode method of learning system has been introduced. Established in 21st October, 1992, the University now accommodates 174,459 learners in 2012. The wide range networking of this university provides it a great prospect to execute a broad…

Impact and cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Pecenka, Clint; Parashar, Umesh; Tate, Jacqueline E; Khan, Jahangir A M; Groman, Devin; Chacko, Stephen; Shamsuzzaman, Md; Clark, Andrew; Atherly, Deborah

2017-07-13

Diarrheal disease is a leading cause of child mortality globally, and rotavirus is responsible for more than a third of those deaths. Despite substantial decreases, the number of rotavirus deaths in children under five was 215,000 per year in 2013. Of these deaths, approximately 41% occurred in Asia and 3% of those in Bangladesh. While Bangladesh has yet to introduce rotavirus vaccination, the country applied for Gavi support and plans to introduce it in 2018. This analysis evaluates the impact and cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Bangladesh and provides estimates of the costs of the vaccination program to help inform decision-makers and international partners. This analysis used Pan American Health Organization's TRIVAC model (version 2.0) to examine nationwide introduction of two-dose rotavirus vaccination in 2017, compared to no vaccination. Three mortality scenarios (low, high, and midpoint) were assessed. Benefits and costs were examined from the societal perspective over ten successive birth cohorts with a 3% discount rate. Model inputs were locally acquired and complemented by internationally validated estimates. Over ten years, rotavirus vaccination would prevent 4000 deaths, nearly 500,000 hospitalizations and 3 million outpatient visits in the base scenario. With a Gavi subsidy, cost/disability adjusted life year (DALY) ratios ranged from $58/DALY to $142/DALY averted. Without a Gavi subsidy and a vaccine price of $2.19 per dose, cost/DALY ratios ranged from $615/DALY to $1514/DALY averted. The discounted cost per DALY averted was less than the GDP per capita for nearly all scenarios considered, indicating that a routine rotavirus vaccination program is highly likely to be cost-effective. Even in a low mortality setting with no Gavi subsidy, rotavirus vaccination would be cost-effective. These estimates exclude the herd immunity benefits of vaccination, so represent a conservative estimate of the cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination

HIV/AIDS Interventions in Bangladesh: What Can Application of a Social Exclusion Framework Tell Us?

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Bangladesh has maintained a low HIV prevalence (of less than 1%) despite multiple risk factors. However, recent serological surveillance data have reported very high levels of HIV infection among a subgroup of male injecting drug-users (IDUs). This suggests that an HIV/AIDS epidemic could be imminent in Bangladesh. Although biomedical and behavioural change projects are important, they do not address the root causes of observed risky behaviours among ‘high-risk’ groups. In Bangladesh, these groups include sex workers, IDUs, males who have sex with males, and the transgender population—hijra—who are all excluded groups. Using a social exclusion framework, this paper analyzed existing literature on HIV in Bangladesh to identify social, economic and legal forces that heighten the vulnerability of such excluded groups to HIV/AIDS. It found that poverty and bias against women are major exclusionary factors. The paper presents areas for research and for policy action so that the social exclusion of high-risk groups can be reduced, their rights protected, and an HIV epidemic averted. PMID:19761091

HIV/AIDS interventions in Bangladesh: what can application of a social exclusion framework tell us?

PubMed

Khosla, Nidhi

2009-08-01

Bangladesh has maintained a low HIV prevalence (of less than 1%) despite multiple risk factors. However, recent serological surveillance data have reported very high levels of HIV infection among a subgroup of male injecting drug-users (IDUs). This suggests that an HIV/AIDS epidemic could be imminent in Bangladesh. Although biomedical and behavioural change projects are important, they do not address the root causes of observed risky behaviours among 'high-risk' groups. In Bangladesh, these groups include sex workers, IDUs, males who have sex with males, and the transgender population-hijra-who are all excluded groups. Using a social exclusion framework, this paper analyzed existing literature on HIV in Bangladesh to identify social, economic and legal forces that heighten the vulnerability of such excluded groups to HIV/AIDS. It found that poverty and bias against women are major exclusionary factors. The paper presents areas for research and for policy action so that the social exclusion of high-risk groups can be reduced, their rights protected, and an HIV epidemic averted.

Determinants of fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ubaidur Rob, A K

1990-03-01

Survey data from rural Bangladesh indicate that duration of marriage is the most significant proximate determinant of fertility. The survey, which was conducted in 1982-86, included respondents from 4 rural areas: 3369 women from Sirajgonj, 1043 from Gopalpur, 2396 from Abhoynagar, and 768 from Fultala. The sample was restricted to women 35-49 years of age who were still married to their 1st husband and had not experienced multiple births. The mean number of children born to respondents was 7.56 and the mean duration of marriage was 26.59 years. The proximate determinants used in the regression analysis--duration of marriage, duration of breastfeeding, duration of last birth interval, length of 2nd to last birth interval, proportion of children dead, duration of spouse separation, ever-use of contraception, duration of postpartum amenorrhea, use of modern contraception, and spouse separation--accounted for 30% of the observed variation in fertility, with the 1st 5 variables listed achieving statistical significance. The duration of marriage and proportion of children who died had significant effects on fertility in all 4 areas, while the duration of breastfeeding was significant only in Sirajgonj. Contraceptive usage was not a significant factor in any of the 4 areas. Since the mean age at marriage in Bangladesh is presently 14 years, any increases in this age should have a positive impact on producing fertility declines.

Raising Awareness on Heat Related Mortality in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arrighi, J.; Burkart, K.; Nissan, H.

2017-12-01

Extreme heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States and Europe, and was responsible for four of the ten deadliest natural disasters worldwide in 2015. Near the tropics, where hot weather is considered the norm, perceived heat risk is often low, but recent heat waves in South Asia have caught the attention of the health community, policy-makers and the public. In a recent collaboration between the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, Columbia University and BBC Media Action the effects of extreme heat in Bangladesh were analyzed and the findings were subsequently used as a basis to raise awareness about the impacts of extreme heat on the most vulnerable, to the general public. Analysis of excess heat in Bangladesh between 2003 and 2007 showed that heatwaves occur between April and June with most extreme heat events occurring in May. Between 2003 and 2007 it is estimated that an average of 1500 people died per year due to heatwaves lasting three days or longer, with an eight-day heatwave in 2005 resulting in a minimum of 3,800 excess deaths. Utilizing these findings BBC Media Action launched an online communications campaign in May 2017 ultimately reaching approximately 3.9 million people with information on reducing the impacts of extreme heat. This presentation will highlight key findings from the study of heat related mortality in Bangladesh as well as highlight the benefit of collaboration between scientists and communicators for increasing awareness about the effects of extreme heat on the most vulnerable.

Lightning Injury is a disaster in Bangladesh? - Exploring its magnitude and public health needs

PubMed Central

Biswas, Animesh; Dalal, Koustuv; Hossain, Jahangir; Ul Baset, Kamran; Rahman, Fazlur; Rahman Mashreky, Saidur

2016-01-01

Background: Lightning injury is a global public health issue. Low and middle-income countries in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world are most affected by lightning. Bangladesh is one of the countries at particular risk, with a high number of devastating lightning injuries in the past years, causing high mortality and morbidity. The exact magnitude of the problem is still unknown and therefore this study investigates the epidemiology of lightning injuries in Bangladesh, using a national representative sample. Methods: A mixed method was used. The study is based on results from a nationwide cross-sectional survey performed in 2003 in twelve randomly selected districts. In the survey, a total of 819,429 respondents from 171,336 households were interviewed using face-to-face interviews. In addition, qualitative information was obtained by reviewing national and international newspaper reports of lightning injuries sustained in Bangladesh between 13 and 15 May 2016. Results: The annual mortality rate was 3.661 (95% CI 0.9313–9.964) per 1,000,000 people. The overall incidence of lightning injury was 19.89/100,000 people. Among the victims, 60.12% (n=98) were males and 39.87% (n=65) were females. Males were particularly vulnerable, with a 1.46 times increased risk compared with females (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.06–1.99). Rural populations were more vulnerable, with a 8.73 times higher risk, than urban populations (RR 8.73, 95% CI 5.13–14.86). About 43% of injuries occurred between 12 noon and 6 pm. The newspapers reported 81 deaths during 2 days of electric storms in 2016. Lightning has been declared a natural disaster in Bangladesh. Conclusions: The current study indicates that lightning injuries are a public health problem in Bangladesh. The study recommends further investigations to develop interventions to reduce lightning injuries, mortality and related burden in Bangladesh. PMID:28184286

Community-based approaches and partnerships: innovations in health-service delivery in Bangladesh.

PubMed

El Arifeen, Shams; Christou, Aliki; Reichenbach, Laura; Osman, Ferdous Arfina; Azad, Kishwar; Islam, Khaled Shamsul; Ahmed, Faruque; Perry, Henry B; Peters, David H

2013-12-14

In Bangladesh, rapid advancements in coverage of many health interventions have coincided with impressive reductions in fertility and rates of maternal, infant, and childhood mortality. These advances, which have taken place despite such challenges as widespread poverty, political instability, and frequent natural disasters, warrant careful analysis of Bangladesh's approach to health-service delivery in the past four decades. With reference to success stories, we explore strategies in health-service delivery that have maximised reach and improved health outcomes. We identify three distinctive features that have enabled Bangladesh to improve health-service coverage and health outcomes: (1) experimentation with, and widespread application of, large-scale community-based approaches, especially investment in community health workers using a doorstep delivery approach; (2) experimentation with informal and contractual partnership arrangements that capitalise on the ability of non-governmental organisations to generate community trust, reach the most deprived populations, and address service gaps; and (3) rapid adoption of context-specific innovative technologies and policies that identify country-specific systems and mechanisms. Continued development of innovative, community-based strategies of health-service delivery, and adaptation of new technologies, are needed to address neglected and emerging health challenges, such as increasing access to skilled birth attendance, improvement of coverage of antenatal care and of nutritional status, the effects of climate change, and chronic disease. Past experience should guide future efforts to address rising public health concerns for Bangladesh and other underdeveloped countries. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Water, climate change and society in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiele-Eich, I.; Simmer, C.

2017-12-01

Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh with a population of over 17 million people, is among the top five coastal cities most vulnerable to climate change, with over 30 % of the population living in slums. Effective disaster mitigation and adaptation requires an understanding how hazards such as flooding impact the population. The impacts of climate change on flooding and thus livelihoods in the complex delta of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna rivers can not be treated isolated from other anthropogenic impacts due to e.g. the construction of dams as well as a growing population. We illustrate this by setting up a conceptual socio-hydrological causal network using the enhanced Driving force - Pressure - State - Impact - Response framework. The constructed socio-hydrological framework includes both natural and anthropogenic processes and their two-way feedbacks, allowing policy makers to know where available resources can be used effectively to increase resilience and reduce vulnerability. We conclude that climate change takes place over long stretches of time and thus enable the population of Bangladesh to adapt slowly. Resources such as social capital, which is one of the main tools for slum dwellers to be able to cope with flooding can be altered over time, and as such the system can be considered overall stable and resilient. However, transboundary water sharing issues during the dry season and other implications resulting from dam structures such as Farakka Barrage complicate a prognosis on how the rapidly growing population will be affected in the 21st century. This is particularly important in connection with previous findings, which suggest that the Greater Dhaka population already experience a significant increase in mortality during droughts. Climate change can thus be seen as an anthropogenic amplification of the socio-hydrological challenges already faced by Bangladesh today.

A Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharya, Dipen; Mridha, Shahjahan; Afroz, Maqsuda

2015-08-01

In its strategic planning for the "Astronomy for Development Project," the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has ecognized, among other important missions, the role of astronomy in understanding the far-reaching possibilities for promoting global tolerance and citizenship. Furthermore, astronomy is deemed inspirational for careers in science and technology. The "Pilot Astronomy Outreach Project in Bangladesh"--the first of its kind in the country--aspires to fulfill these missions. As Bangladesh lacks resources to promote astronomy education in universities and schools, the role of disseminating astronomy education to the greater community falls on citizen science organizations. One such group, Anushandhitshu Chokro (AChokro) Science Organization, has been carrying out a successful public outreach program since 1975. Among its documented public events, AChokro organized a total solar eclipse campaign in Bangladesh in 2009, at which 15,000 people were assembled in a single open venue for the eclipse observation. The organization has actively pursued astronomy outreach to dispel public misconceptions about astronomical phenomena and to promote science. AChokro is currently working to build an observatory and Science Outreach Center around a recently-acquired 14-inch Scmidt-Cassegrain telescope and a soon-to-be-acquired new 16-inch reflector, all funded by private donations. The telescopes will be fitted with photometers, spectrometers, and digital and CCD cameras to pursue observations that would include sun spot and solar magnetic fields, planetary surfaces, asteroid search, variable stars and supernovae. The Center will be integrated with schools, colleges, and community groups for regular observation and small-scale research. Special educational and observing sessions for adults will also be organized. Updates on the development of the Center, which is expected to be functioning by the end of 2015, will be shared and feedback invited on the fostering of

Adolescent motherhood in Bangladesh: Trends and determinants

PubMed Central

Islam, Md. Kamrul; Hasan, Mohammad Sazzad; Hossain, Mohammad Bellal

2017-01-01

Background While studies on fertility and contraceptives issues are available, until recently adolescent motherhood has not received enough attention among policy makers in understanding adolescent motherhood in Bangladesh. We aimed to examine the trends and determinants of adolescent motherhood among women aged 15–49 years. Methods For trend analysis we used all the 7 waves of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS, 1993–2014) data but for multivariate analysis 4 waves of BDHS (2004–2014). Two separate analyses were carried out on ever married women aged 15–49: (1) teenage girls aged 15–19 and (2) adult women aged 20 and above. Results The prevalence of adolescent motherhood had declined to a slower pace from 1993 to2014 (from 33.0% to 30.8%). Lower spousal age gap and higher education were found to be associated with lower likelihood of adolescent motherhood both among teenage girls [OR 0.447 (0.374–0.533)] and adult women [OR 0.451 (0.420–0.484)]. Teenage girls in the poorest wealth quintile [OR 1.712 [1.350–2.173] were more likely to experience adolescent motherhood than the richest wealth quintile. Teenage girls who had no education were found to have 2.76 times higher odds of adolescent motherhood than their counterparts who had higher than secondary education. Concerning the time effect, the odds of adolescent motherhood among adult women was found to decline overtime. Conclusions Despite substantial decrease in total fertility rate in Bangladesh adolescent motherhood is still highly prevalent though declining from 1993 to 2014. Social policies including those addressing poverty, ensuring greater emphasis on education for women; and adolescent mothers in rural areas are needed. PMID:29176807

Genetically Diverse Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Virus Subtypes Co-Circulate among Poultry in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerloff, Nancy A.; Khan, Salah Uddin; Zanders, Natosha

Influenza virus surveillance, poultry outbreak investigations and genomic sequencing were assessed to understand the ecology and evolution of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) A viruses in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed 506 avian specimens collected from poultry in live bird markets and backyard flocks to identify influenza A viruses. Virus isolation-positive specimens (n = 50) were subtyped and their coding-complete genomes were sequenced. The most frequently identified subtypes among LPAI isolates were H9N2, H11N3, H4N6, and H1N1. Less frequently detected subtypes included H1N3, H2N4, H3N2, H3N6, H3N8, H4N2, H5N2, H6N1, H6N7, and H7N9. Gene sequences were compared tomore » publicly available sequences using phylogenetic inference approaches. Among the 14 subtypes identified, the majority of viral gene segments were most closely related to poultry or wild bird viruses commonly found in Southeast Asia, Europe, and/or northern Africa. LPAI subtypes were distributed over several geographic locations in Bangladesh, and surface and internal protein gene segments clustered phylogenetically with a diverse number of viral subtypes suggesting extensive reassortment among these LPAI viruses. H9N2 subtype viruses differed from other LPAI subtypes because genes from these viruses consistently clustered together, indicating this subtype is enzootic in Bangladesh. The H9N2 strains identified in Bangladesh were phylogenetically and antigenically related to previous human-derived H9N2 viruses detected in Bangladesh representing a potential source for human infection. In contrast, the circulating LPAI H5N2 and H7N9 viruses were both phylogenetically and antigenically unrelated to H5 viruses identified previously in humans in Bangladesh and H7N9 strains isolated from humans in China. In Bangladesh, domestic poultry sold in live bird markets carried a wide range of LPAI virus subtypes and a high diversity of genotypes. Here these findings, combined with the seven

Genetically Diverse Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Virus Subtypes Co-Circulate among Poultry in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Gerloff, Nancy A; Khan, Salah Uddin; Zanders, Natosha; Balish, Amanda; Haider, Najmul; Islam, Ausraful; Chowdhury, Sukanta; Rahman, Mahmudur Ziaur; Haque, Ainul; Hosseini, Parviez; Gurley, Emily S; Luby, Stephen P; Wentworth, David E; Donis, Ruben O; Sturm-Ramirez, Katharine; Davis, C Todd

2016-01-01

Influenza virus surveillance, poultry outbreak investigations and genomic sequencing were assessed to understand the ecology and evolution of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) A viruses in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed 506 avian specimens collected from poultry in live bird markets and backyard flocks to identify influenza A viruses. Virus isolation-positive specimens (n = 50) were subtyped and their coding-complete genomes were sequenced. The most frequently identified subtypes among LPAI isolates were H9N2, H11N3, H4N6, and H1N1. Less frequently detected subtypes included H1N3, H2N4, H3N2, H3N6, H3N8, H4N2, H5N2, H6N1, H6N7, and H7N9. Gene sequences were compared to publicly available sequences using phylogenetic inference approaches. Among the 14 subtypes identified, the majority of viral gene segments were most closely related to poultry or wild bird viruses commonly found in Southeast Asia, Europe, and/or northern Africa. LPAI subtypes were distributed over several geographic locations in Bangladesh, and surface and internal protein gene segments clustered phylogenetically with a diverse number of viral subtypes suggesting extensive reassortment among these LPAI viruses. H9N2 subtype viruses differed from other LPAI subtypes because genes from these viruses consistently clustered together, indicating this subtype is enzootic in Bangladesh. The H9N2 strains identified in Bangladesh were phylogenetically and antigenically related to previous human-derived H9N2 viruses detected in Bangladesh representing a potential source for human infection. In contrast, the circulating LPAI H5N2 and H7N9 viruses were both phylogenetically and antigenically unrelated to H5 viruses identified previously in humans in Bangladesh and H7N9 strains isolated from humans in China. In Bangladesh, domestic poultry sold in live bird markets carried a wide range of LPAI virus subtypes and a high diversity of genotypes. These findings, combined with the seven year

Genetically Diverse Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Virus Subtypes Co-Circulate among Poultry in Bangladesh

DOE PAGES

Gerloff, Nancy A.; Khan, Salah Uddin; Zanders, Natosha; ...

2016-03-24

Influenza virus surveillance, poultry outbreak investigations and genomic sequencing were assessed to understand the ecology and evolution of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) A viruses in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed 506 avian specimens collected from poultry in live bird markets and backyard flocks to identify influenza A viruses. Virus isolation-positive specimens (n = 50) were subtyped and their coding-complete genomes were sequenced. The most frequently identified subtypes among LPAI isolates were H9N2, H11N3, H4N6, and H1N1. Less frequently detected subtypes included H1N3, H2N4, H3N2, H3N6, H3N8, H4N2, H5N2, H6N1, H6N7, and H7N9. Gene sequences were compared tomore » publicly available sequences using phylogenetic inference approaches. Among the 14 subtypes identified, the majority of viral gene segments were most closely related to poultry or wild bird viruses commonly found in Southeast Asia, Europe, and/or northern Africa. LPAI subtypes were distributed over several geographic locations in Bangladesh, and surface and internal protein gene segments clustered phylogenetically with a diverse number of viral subtypes suggesting extensive reassortment among these LPAI viruses. H9N2 subtype viruses differed from other LPAI subtypes because genes from these viruses consistently clustered together, indicating this subtype is enzootic in Bangladesh. The H9N2 strains identified in Bangladesh were phylogenetically and antigenically related to previous human-derived H9N2 viruses detected in Bangladesh representing a potential source for human infection. In contrast, the circulating LPAI H5N2 and H7N9 viruses were both phylogenetically and antigenically unrelated to H5 viruses identified previously in humans in Bangladesh and H7N9 strains isolated from humans in China. In Bangladesh, domestic poultry sold in live bird markets carried a wide range of LPAI virus subtypes and a high diversity of genotypes. Here these findings, combined with the seven

Genetically Diverse Low Pathogenicity Avian Influenza A Virus Subtypes Co-Circulate among Poultry in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Gerloff, Nancy A.; Khan, Salah Uddin; Zanders, Natosha; Balish, Amanda; Haider, Najmul; Islam, Ausraful; Chowdhury, Sukanta; Rahman, Mahmudur Ziaur; Haque, Ainul; Hosseini, Parviez; Gurley, Emily S.; Luby, Stephen P.; Wentworth, David E.; Donis, Ruben O.; Sturm-Ramirez, Katharine; Davis, C. Todd

2016-01-01

Influenza virus surveillance, poultry outbreak investigations and genomic sequencing were assessed to understand the ecology and evolution of low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) A viruses in Bangladesh from 2007 to 2013. We analyzed 506 avian specimens collected from poultry in live bird markets and backyard flocks to identify influenza A viruses. Virus isolation-positive specimens (n = 50) were subtyped and their coding-complete genomes were sequenced. The most frequently identified subtypes among LPAI isolates were H9N2, H11N3, H4N6, and H1N1. Less frequently detected subtypes included H1N3, H2N4, H3N2, H3N6, H3N8, H4N2, H5N2, H6N1, H6N7, and H7N9. Gene sequences were compared to publicly available sequences using phylogenetic inference approaches. Among the 14 subtypes identified, the majority of viral gene segments were most closely related to poultry or wild bird viruses commonly found in Southeast Asia, Europe, and/or northern Africa. LPAI subtypes were distributed over several geographic locations in Bangladesh, and surface and internal protein gene segments clustered phylogenetically with a diverse number of viral subtypes suggesting extensive reassortment among these LPAI viruses. H9N2 subtype viruses differed from other LPAI subtypes because genes from these viruses consistently clustered together, indicating this subtype is enzootic in Bangladesh. The H9N2 strains identified in Bangladesh were phylogenetically and antigenically related to previous human-derived H9N2 viruses detected in Bangladesh representing a potential source for human infection. In contrast, the circulating LPAI H5N2 and H7N9 viruses were both phylogenetically and antigenically unrelated to H5 viruses identified previously in humans in Bangladesh and H7N9 strains isolated from humans in China. In Bangladesh, domestic poultry sold in live bird markets carried a wide range of LPAI virus subtypes and a high diversity of genotypes. These findings, combined with the seven year

Distributing and Showing Farmer Learning Videos in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bentley, Jeffery W.; Van Mele, Paul; Harun-ar-Rashid, Md.; Krupnik, Timothy J.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To describe the results of showing farmer learning videos through different types of volunteers. Design/Methodology/Approach: Semi-structured interviews with volunteers from different occupational groups in Bangladesh, and a phone survey with 227 respondents. Findings: Each occupational group acted differently. Shop keepers, tillage…

India-China Rivalry and Strategic Options for Bangladesh

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-14

the Indian experts believe that Indian economy will be overwhelmed by the Chinese. While China is interested in a Free Trade Agreement ( FTA ) with... Penguin Books. Ray, Jayanta Kumar, and Muntassir Mamoon. 2011. India-Bangladesh relations: Current perspective. New Delhi: KW Publishers. Rowland, John

How nutrition-friendly are agriculture and health policies in Bangladesh?

PubMed

Naher, Firdousi; Barkat-e-Khuda; Ahmed, Shaikh Shamsuddin; Hossain, Mahabub

2014-03-01

The improvements in nutrition status in Bangladesh, particularly child nutrition outcomes, have been relatively slow, despite remarkable improvements in the country's food situation as well as in the health sector. At present more than 40% of children under 5 years of age are stunted. To examine the specific food, agriculture, and health policies that have existed and currently exist in Bangladesh from the perspective of nutrition and identify gaps in the policy framework for which improvements in nutrition have been slow. Policy documents, public financial and budget documents, and related papers were reviewed. Several interviews with former civil servants and bureaucrats were conducted. The approach to achieving food security has been a partial one, with policy provisions focusing excessively on increasing the availability of food, primarily rice. The "accessibility" pillar of food security has received little attention, while the neglect of the "utilization" pillar is conspicuous by the dearth of appropriate policies and laws for ensuring food safety. The efforts in the health sector have largely concentrated on expanding the coverage of primary healthcare, with little consideration of equity and quality. There exists a wide window of unexplored opportunity to align the remarkable increases in food production and advances in the health sector with nutrition considerations toward an improved nutrition status in Bangladesh.

Impact of water control projects on fisheries resources in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirza, Monirul Qader; Ericksen, Neil J.

1996-07-01

Bangladesh is a very flat delta built up by the Ganges—Brahmaputra—Meghna/Barak river systems. Because of its geographical location, floods cause huge destruction of lives and properties almost every year. Water control programs have been undertaken to enhance development through mitigating the threat of disasters. This structural approach to flood hazard has severely affected floodplain fisheries that supply the major share of protein to rural Bangladesh, as exemplified by the Chandpur Irrigation Project. Although the regulated environment of the Chandpur project has become favorable for closed-water cultured fish farming, the natural open-water fishery loss has been substantial. Results from research show that fish yields were better under preproject conditions. Under project conditions per capita fish consumption has dropped significantly, and the price of fish has risen beyond the means of the poor people, so that fish protein in the diet of poor people is gradually declining. Bangladesh is planning to expand water control facilities to the remaining flood-prone areas in the next 15 20 years. This will cause further loss of floodplain fisheries. If prices for closed-water fish remain beyond the buying power of the poor, alternative sources of cheap protein will be required.

Economic disparity and child nutrition in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Giashuddin, M S; Kabir, M; Hasan, M

2005-06-01

The aim of this study was to assess the economic difference in nutrition of under-five children. Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey data 1999-2000 were used for this study. In this study, quintiles were calculated on the basis of asset and wealth score by use of principal component analysis. To understand the nutrition status and health inequality concentration index was also calculated. The ratio of poorest to the richest indicates that stunting and underweight of the rural under-five children was almost two times higher than that of the richest children. The negative concentration index shows that higher rate of malnutrition among the under-five children from the poorest class. This inequality in health situation of the children can be explained in terms of income inequality. In Bangladesh, about 40% wealth is concentrated to 10% of the families. The results are discussed in terms of policy consideration. It is expected that the findings will lead to consider alternative program strategies for the reduction of poor nutritional status of the children and their mothers.

Fertility differentials in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, H T; Islam, S M; Khan, H M; Bari, R

1993-01-01

"Data from two sources in rural Bangladesh have been used in this study to examine the differentials in fertility by selected socio-economic and demographic factors. Results [indicate] that age at first marriage, education of spouses and availability of electricity in the household...have [an] inverse relationship with fertility. Higher fertility is observed for Muslim women than for non-Muslims. It has been found that fertility is the lowest to those women whose husbands are service holders and the highest for agriculture." excerpt

Design of a rural water provision system to decrease arsenic exposure in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathieu, Johanna

2009-01-09

Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have invented ARUBA (Arsenic Removal Using Bottom Ash) a material that effectively and affordably removes high concentrations of arsenic from contaminated groundwater. The technology is cost-effective because the substrate-bottom ash from coal fired power plants-is a waste material readily available in South Asia. During fieldwork in four sub-districts of Bangladesh, ARUBA reduced groundwater arsenic concentrations as high as 680 ppb to below the Bangladesh standard of 50 ppb. Key results from three trips in Bangladesh and one trip to Cambodia include (1) ARUBA removes more than half of the arsenic from contaminated watermore » within the first five minutes of contact, and continues removing arsenic for 2-3 days; (2) ARUBA's arsenic removal efficiency can be improved through fractionated dosing (adding a given amount of ARUBA in fractions versus all at once); (3) allowing water to first stand for two to three days followed by treatment with ARUBA produced final arsenic concentrations ten times lower than treating water directly out of the well; and (4) the amount of arsenic removed per gram of ARUBA is linearly related to the initial arsenic concentration of the water. Through analysis of existing studies, observations, and informal interviews in Bangladesh, eight design strategies have been developed and used in the design of a low-cost, community-scale water treatment system that uses ARUBA to remove arsenic from drinking water. We have constructed, tested, and analyzed a scale version of the system. Experiments have shown that the system is capable of reducing high levels of arsenic (nearly 600 ppb) to below 50 ppb, while remaining affordable to people living on less than $2 per day. The system could be sustainably implemented as a public-private partnership in rural Bangladesh.« less

Fascioliasis risk factors and space-time clusters in domestic ruminants in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rahman, A K M Anisur; Islam, S K Shaheenur; Talukder, Md Hasanuzzaman; Hassan, Md Kumrul; Dhand, Navneet K; Ward, Michael P

2017-05-08

A retrospective observational study was conducted to identify fascioliasis hotspots, clusters, potential risk factors and to map fascioliasis risk in domestic ruminants in Bangladesh. Cases of fascioliasis in cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats from all districts in Bangladesh between 2011 and 2013 were identified via secondary surveillance data from the Department of Livestock Services' Epidemiology Unit. From each case report, date of report, species affected and district data were extracted. The total number of domestic ruminants in each district was used to calculate fascioliasis cases per ten thousand animals at risk per district, and this was used for cluster and hotspot analysis. Clustering was assessed with Moran's spatial autocorrelation statistic, hotspots with the local indicator of spatial association (LISA) statistic and space-time clusters with the scan statistic (Poisson model). The association between district fascioliasis prevalence and climate (temperature, precipitation), elevation, land cover and water bodies was investigated using a spatial regression model. A total of 1,723,971 cases of fascioliasis were reported in the three-year study period in cattle (1,164,560), goats (424,314), buffalo (88,924) and sheep (46,173). A total of nine hotspots were identified; one of these persisted in each of the three years. Only two local clusters were found. Five space-time clusters located within 22 districts were also identified. Annual risk maps of fascioliasis cases correlated with the hotspots and clusters detected. Cultivated and managed (P < 0.001) and artificial surface (P = 0.04) land cover areas, and elevation (P = 0.003) were positively and negatively associated with fascioliasis in Bangladesh, respectively. Results indicate that due to land use characteristics some areas of Bangladesh are at greater risk of fascioliasis. The potential risk factors, hot spots and clusters identified in this study can be used to guide science

Determinants of overweight or obesity among ever-married adult women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarma, Haribondhu; Saquib, Nazmus; Hasan, Md Mehedi; Saquib, Juliann; Rahman, Ahmed Shafiqur; Khan, Jahidur Rahman; Uddin, Md Jasim; Cullen, Mark R; Ahmed, Tahmeed

2016-01-01

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing in Bangladesh. It is higher among Bangladeshi women than among men. This study was conducted to assess a host of demographic and socioeconomic correlates of overweight and obesity, separately for the urban and rural women of Bangladesh. We used data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2011. The BDHS provides cross-sectional data on a wide range of indicators relating to population, health, and nutrition. We analyzed nutrition-related data to identify the factors associated with being overweight or obese among ever-married women aged 18-49 years. Of 16,493 women, about 18 % (95 % CI 17 · 80-18 · 99) were overweight or obese. Unemployed urban women were at 1 · 44 (95 % CI 1 · 18-1 · 76, p < 0 · 001) times higher risk of being overweight or obese than those women who were involved in manual-labored work. Watching television at least once a week was another significant predictor among urban women (OR 1 · 49; 95 % CI 1 · 24-1 · 80; p < 0 · 001) and rural women (OR 1 · 31; 95 % CI 1 · 14-1 · 51; p < 0 · 001). Household wealth index and food security were also strongly associated with overweight or obesity of both rural and urban women. The findings of the study indicate that a large number of women in Bangladesh are suffering from being overweight or obese, and multiple factors are responsible for this including, older age, being from wealthy households, higher education, being from food-secured households, watching TV at least once a week, and being an unemployed urban woman. Given the anticipated long-term effects, the factors that are associated with being overweight or obese should be considered while formulating an effective intervention for the women of Bangladesh.

Influenza-associated mortality in 2009 in four sentinel sites in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Luby, Stephen P; Alamgir, ASM; Islam, Kariul; Paul, Repon; Abedin, Jaynal; Rahman, Mustafizur; Azim, Tasnim; Podder, Goutam; Sohel, Badrul Munir; Brooks, Abdullah; Fry, Alicia M; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Bresee, Joseph; Rahman, Mahmudur; Azziz-Baumgartner, Eduardo

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective To estimate influenza-associated mortality in Bangladesh in 2009. Methods In four hospitals in Bangladesh, respiratory samples were collected twice a month throughout 2009 from inpatients aged < 5 years with severe pneumonia and from older inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection. The samples were tested for influenza virus ribonucleic acid (RNA) using polymerase chain reaction. The deaths in 2009 in five randomly selected unions (the smallest administrative units in Bangladesh) in each hospital’s catchment area were then investigated using formal records and informal group discussions. The deaths of those who had reportedly died within 14 days of suddenly developing fever with cough and/or a sore throat were assumed to be influenza-associated. The rate of such deaths in 2009 in each of the catchment areas was then estimated from the number of apparently influenza-associated deaths in the sampled unions, the proportion of the sampled inpatients in the local hospital who tested positive for influenza virus RNA, and the estimated number of residents of the sampled unions. Findings Of the 2500 people known to have died in 2009 in all 20 study unions, 346 (14%) reportedly had fever with cough and/or sore throat within 14 days of their deaths. The estimated mean annual influenza-associated mortality in these unions was 11 per 100 000 population: 1.5, 4.0 and 125 deaths per 100 000 among those aged < 5, 5–59 and > 59 years, respectively. Conclusion The highest burden of influenza-associated mortality in Bangladesh in 2009 was among the elderly. PMID:22511823

Ebola Virus Antibodies in Fruit Bats, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Islam, Ariful; Yu, Meng; Anthony, Simon J.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Khan, Shahneaz Ali; Khan, Salah Uddin; Crameri, Gary; Wang, Lin-Fa; Lipkin, W. Ian; Luby, Stephen P.; Daszak, Peter

2013-01-01

To determine geographic range for Ebola virus, we tested 276 bats in Bangladesh. Five (3.5%) bats were positive for antibodies against Ebola Zaire and Reston viruses; no virus was detected by PCR. These bats might be a reservoir for Ebola or Ebola-like viruses, and extend the range of filoviruses to mainland Asia. PMID:23343532

Digital geologic and geophysical data of Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Persits, Feliks M.; Wandrey, C.J.; Milici, R.C.; Manwar, Abdullah

1997-01-01

The data set for these maps includes arcs, polygons, and labels that outline and describe the general geologic age and geophysical fields of Bangladesh. Political boundaries are provided to show the general location of administrative regions and state boundaries. Major base topographic data like cities, rivers, etc. were derived from the same paper map source as the geology.

English, Education, and Globalisation: A Bangladesh Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akteruzzaman, Mohammad; Islam, Rakibul

2017-01-01

As a third world country and a former British colony, Bangladesh has seen a dramatic upsurge in the use of the English language. Built on the concept of imperialistic aspects of the English language, this paper draws on responses from anonymous survey results and interviews and attempts to provide deeper insights into the global aspects of English…

Arsenic Mitigation and Social Mobilisation in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rammelt, Crelis F.; Boes, Jan

2004-01-01

For the people of Bangladesh, mostly in rural areas, a new disaster is emerging. Two-thirds of the deep tube wells installed over the last three decades--roughly 3 million in total--contain arsenic concentrations above the permissible levels set by the WHO. These wells were installed to contribute to a secure and reliable drinking water supply,…

JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia, Bangladesh

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-12

due to provisions have been made to sanction working capital by certain obstructions beyond the control of the administra- nationalised commercial bank ...Industry Crisis [THE NEW NATION 12 Jul] .................................................................. 27 Results of Bank Action [THE BANGLADESH...Kuwait Government of returning assets lying with the indefinitely stranded on a foreign land. Kuwaiti banks . A Sonali Bank team will shortly visit

A cross-cultural perspective on aging and memory: Comparisons between Bangladesh and Sweden.

PubMed

Sternäng, Ola; Kabir, Zarina N; Hamadani, Jena D; Wahlin, Åke

2012-12-01

Most studies on cognitive aging have been conducted in high-income countries (mainly on Western populations). The main aim of this study was to compare the relative importance of predictors of episodic and semantic memory performance in older people (≥60 years) from Bangladesh (n = 400) and Sweden (n = 1,098). Hierarchical regression models were used in order to study the importance of some commonly used predictors in the two countries. A main finding was that variations in age did not have much impact on episodic and semantic memory performance in Bangladesh. Instead, sex was a strong predictor for semantic memory performance. In Sweden this pattern was reversed. In the Western world, chronological age is believed to be strongly associated with memory performance in cross-sectional studies, particularly in people greater than 60 years of age. This study indicates that the difference between the two countries (in relative importance of the predictors included in this study) is mainly due to the fact that years of education is connected to age in the Western world but to sex in Bangladesh. It remains to be examined whether earlier selective survival is also responsible for the relative absence of cognitive age differences in Bangladesh. © 2012 The Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

CIAS detection of Fasciola hepatica/F. gigantica intermediate forms in bovines from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahasan, Syed Ali; Valero, M Adela; Chowdhury, Emdadul Haque; Islam, Mohammad Taohidul; Islam, Mohammad Rafiqul; Hussain Mondal, Mohammad Motahar; Peixoto, Raquel V; Berinde, Lavinia; Panova, Miroslava; Mas-Coma, Santiago

2016-03-01

Fascioliasis is an important food-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by two trematode species, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The characterisation and differentiation of Fasciola populations is crucial to control the disease, given the different transmission, epidemiology and pathology characteristics of the two species. Lineal biometric features of adult liver flukes infecting livestock have been studied to characterise and discriminate fasciolids from Bangladesh. An accurate analysis was conducted to phenotypically discriminate between fasciolids from naturally infected bovines (cattle, buffaloes) throughout the country. Morphometric analyses were made with a computer image analysis system (CIAS) applied on the basis of standardised measurements and the logistic model of the body growth and development of fasciolids in the different host groups. Since it is the first ever comprehensive study of this kind undertaken in Bangladesh, the results are compared to pure fasciolid populations of F. hepatica from the European Mediterranean area and F. gigantica from Burkina Faso, geographical areas where both species do not co-exist. Principal component analysis showed that the biometric characteristics of fasciolids from Bangladesh are situated between F. hepatica and F. gigantica standard populations, indicating the presence of phenotypes of intermediate forms in Bangladesh. These results are analysed by considering the present emergence of animal fascioliasis, the local lymnaeid fauna, the impact of climate change, and the risk of human infection in the country.

Bangladesh: Background and U.S. Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-07

influence through the political process and that this is creating space for militant activities inside the country. Some allege that the presence in the...well as its democratic process . Further, there is concern that should Bangladesh become a failed state, or a state controlled by Islamist...than 1 million Language : Bengali (official); English widely used Religion: Muslim 88.3%; Hindu 10.5% Life Expectancy at Birth: 62.46 (2006 est

Cost-effectiveness of community health workers in tuberculosis control in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Islam, Md Akramul; Wakai, Susumu; Ishikawa, Nobukatsu; Chowdhury, A. M. R.; Vaughan, J. Patrick

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare the cost-effectiveness of the tuberculosis (TB) programme run by the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), which uses community health workers (CHWs), with that of the government TB programme which does not use CHWs. METHODS: TB control statistics and cost data for July 1996 - June 1997 were collected from both government and BRAC thanas (subdistricts) in rural Bangladesh. To measure the cost per patient cured, total costs were divided by the total number of patients cured. FINDINGS: In the BRAC and government areas, respectively, a total of 186 and 185 TB patients were identified over one year, with cure rates among sputum-positive patients of 84% and 82%. However, the cost per patient cured was US$ 64 in the BRAC area compared to US$ 96 in the government area. CONCLUSION: The government programme was 50% more expensive for similar outcomes. Although both the BRAC and government TB control programmes appeared to achieve satisfactory cure rates using DOTS (a five-point strategy), the involvement of CHWs was found to be more cost-effective in rural Bangladesh. With the same budget, the BRAC programme could cure three TB patients for every two in the government programme. PMID:12132000

Service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in the Bangladesh healthcare sector.

PubMed

Ahmed, Selim; Tarique, Kazi Md; Arif, Ishtiaque

2017-06-12

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in Bangladesh's healthcare sector. It identifies healthcare quality conformance, patient satisfaction and loyalty based on demographics such as gender, age and marital status. It examines the differences between public and private healthcare sectors regarding service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty. Design/methodology/approach The authors distributed 450 self-administered questionnaires to hospital patients resulting in 204 useful responses (45.3 per cent response rate). Data were analysed based on reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, independent samples t-tests, ANOVA and discriminant analysis using SPSS version 23. Findings Findings indicate that single patients perceive tangibles, reliability, empathy and loyalty higher compared to married patients. Young patients (⩽20 years) have a higher tangibles, empathy and loyalty scores compared to other age groups. The authors observed that private hospital patients perceive healthcare service quality performance higher compared to patients in public hospitals. Research limitations/implications The authors focussed solely on the Bangladesh health sector, so the results might not be applicable to other countries. Originality/value The findings provide guidelines for enhancing service quality, patient satisfaction and loyalty in the Bangladesh healthcare sector and other countries.

Assessment of Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater and Health Problems in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Khalequzzaman, Md.; Faruque, Fazlay S.; Mitra, Amal K.

2005-01-01

Excessive amounts of arsenic (As) in the groundwater in Bangladesh and neighboring states in India are a major public health problem. About 30% of the private wells in Bangladesh exhibit high concentrations of arsenic. Over half the country, 269 out of 464 administrative units, is affected. Similar problems exist in many other parts of the world, including the Unites States. This paper presents an assessment of the health hazards caused by arsenic contamination in the drinking water in Bangladesh. Four competing hypotheses, each addressing the sources, reaction mechanisms, pathways, and sinks of arsenic in groundwater, were analyzed in the context of the geologic history and land-use practices in the Bengal Basin. None of the hypotheses alone can explain the observed variability in arsenic concentration in time and space; each appears to have some validity on a local scale. Thus, it is likely that several bio-geochemical processes are active among the region’s various geologic environments, and that each contributes to the mobilization and release of arsenic. Additional research efforts will be needed to understand the relationships between underlying biogeochemical factors and the mechanisms for arsenic release in various geologic settings. PMID:16705819

Patterns of Use and Perceptions of Harm of Smokeless Tobacco in Navi Mumbai, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mutti, Seema; Reid, Jessica L; Gupta, Prakash C; Pednekar, Mangesh S; Dhumal, Gauri; Nargis, Nigar; Hussain, Akm Ghulam; Hammond, David

2016-01-01

Globally, smokeless tobacco use is disproportionately concentrated in low-income and middle-income countries like India and Bangladesh. The current study examined comparative patterns of use and perceptions of harm for different smokeless tobacco products among adults and youth in Navi Mumbai, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Face-to-face interviews were conducted on tablets with adult (19 years and older) smokeless tobacco users and youth (16-18 years) users and non-users in Navi Mumbai ( n = 1002), and Dhaka ( n = 1081). A majority (88.9%) of smokeless tobacco users reported daily use. Approximately one-fifth (20.4%) of the sample were mixed-users (used both smoked and smokeless tobacco), of which about half (54.4%) reported that they primarily used smokeless over smoked forms like cigarettes or bidis. The proportion of users planning to quit was higher in India than in Bangladesh (75.7% vs. 49.8%, p < 0.001). Gutkha was the most commonly used smokeless product in India, and pan masala in Bangladesh. Among users in Bangladesh, the most commonly reported reason for using their usual product was the belief that it was "less harmful" than other types. Perceptions of harm also differed with respect to a respondent's usual product. Bangladeshi respondents reported more negative attitudes toward smokeless tobacco compared to Indian respondents. The findings highlight the high daily use of smokeless tobacco, and the high prevalence of false beliefs about its harms. This set of findings reinforces the need to implement effective tobacco control strategies in low and middle-income countries like India and Bangladesh.

Thelazia callipaeda infestation in Bangladesh: a case report.

PubMed

Akhanda, A H; Akonjee, A R; Hossain, M M; Rahman, M A; Mishu, F A; Hasan, M F; Akhanda, T H

2013-07-01

A 5 years old girl was admitted to Ophthalmology department of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital, Mymensingh with excessive watering, redness and movement of something in her right eye for last 2 months. She had unaided visual acuity- 6/6, matted eye lashes and mucoid discharge in right eye. Follicles were present on the fornices and lower palpebral conjunctiva of the same eye. On eversion of the right upper lid there were silicon tube like coiled moving structures seen at the lateral part of the upper fornics. Six nematodes were seen in the upper fornics around the duct of lacrimal glands. After removing the nematodes, one specimen was sent to parasitology department of Bangladesh Agriculture University for species identification. They reported that sending specimen is an adult "Thelazia Callipaeda". By the present study, the presence of human ocular T. callipaeda infestation is second reported case in Bangladesh. Ophthalmologists should be aware about parasitic infestation of conjunctiva.

Arsenic exposure and oral cavity lesions in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Syed, Emdadul H; Melkonian, Stephanie; Poudel, Krishna C; Yasuoka, Junko; Otsuka, Keiko; Ahmed, Alauddin; Islam, Tariqul; Parvez, Faruque; Slavkovich, Vesna; Graziano, Joseph H; Ahsan, Habibul; Jimba, Masamine

2013-01-01

To evaluate the relationship between arsenic exposure and oral cavity lesions among an arsenic-exposed population in Bangladesh. We carried out an analysis utilizing the baseline data of the Health Effects of Arsenic Exposure Longitudinal Study, which is an ongoing population-based cohort study to investigate health outcomes associated with arsenic exposure via drinking water in Araihazar, Bangladesh. We used multinomial regression models to estimate the risk of oral cavity lesions. Participants with high urinary arsenic levels (286.1 to 5000.0 μg/g) were more likely to develop arsenical lesions of the gums (multinomial odds ratio = 2.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.11 to 7.54), and tongue (multinomial odds ratio = 2.79; 95% confidence interval, 1.51 to 5.15), compared with those with urinary arsenic levels of 7.0 to 134.0 μg/g. Higher level of arsenic exposure was positively associated with increased arsenical lesions of the gums and tongue.

Value of arsenic-free drinking water to rural households in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmad, Junaid; Goldar, Bishwanath; Misra, Smita

2005-01-01

Using contingent valuation survey data for about 2700 households in rural Bangladesh, and applying a multinomial logit model, the paper estimates the value of arsenic-free drinking water to the rural people. The estimates indicate that the rural people in arsenic-affected areas of Bangladesh place a low value on arsenic-free drinking water. It is about 10-14 percent of the amount they are willing to pay for piped water and only about 0.2-0.3 percent of the average household income. The implication of the result is that robust but costly arsenic reduction technologies such as activated alumina technology may find little social acceptance, unless heavily subsidized.

Mapping risk of Nipah virus transmission across Asia and across Bangladesh.

PubMed

Peterson, A Townsend

2015-03-01

Nipah virus is a highly pathogenic but poorly known paramyxovirus from South and Southeast Asia. In spite of the risks that it poses to human health, the geography and ecology of its occurrence remain little understood-the virus is basically known from Bangladesh and peninsular Malaysia, and little in between. In this contribution, I use documented occurrences of the virus to develop ecological niche-based maps summarizing its likely broader occurrence-although rangewide maps could not be developed that had significant predictive abilities, reflecting minimal sample sizes available, maps within Bangladesh were quite successful in identifying areas in which the virus is predictably present and likely transmitted. © 2013 APJPH.

Molecular epidemiology of hepatitis B virus isolated from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shaha, Modhusudon; Hoque, Sheikh Ariful; Rahman, Sabita Rezwana

2016-01-01

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is highly contagious and causes liver diseases. Globally more than 350 million people are chronically infected and among them above 80 % are from developing countries like Bangladesh. Resistance to existing drugs and vaccines are common phenomenon due to mutations in HBsAg 'a' determinant. Due to lack of data about mutations and subtypes of HBV in Bangladesh, this study strongly demands to be documented. Here, we determined the genotypes and subtypes of HBV prevalent in Bangladesh, and their genomic mutations associated with vaccine and drug resistance. Among 385 samples, a total of 54 (14 %) were found HBV positive, of which 19 samples were subjected to be sequenced. After bioinformatic analysis, we found Genotype D as predominant genotype (73.7 %) with subtypes ayw3 (64.3 %) and ayw2 (35.7 %), followed by genotype A with subtype adw2 (15.8 %), and then genotype C with subtype adr (10.5 %). A significant number of mutations (Thr118Val, Thr125Met, Thr126Ile, Pro127Thr, Ala128Val, Thr131Asn/Ser, Thr/Ser143Leu/Met) were found in 'a' determinant region which may admit resistance to the available vaccines and failure of HBsAg detection. This comprehensive study have clinical importance like disease diagnosis and treatment. It emphasizes HBV infected patients to do molecular diagnosis for choice of anti-viral drugs and effectiveness of vaccines for proper treatment.

Drinking water insecurity: water quality and access in coastal south-western Bangladesh.

PubMed

Benneyworth, Laura; Gilligan, Jonathan; Ayers, John C; Goodbred, Steven; George, Gregory; Carrico, Amanda; Karim, Md Rezaul; Akter, Farjana; Fry, David; Donato, Katherine; Piya, Bhumika

2016-01-01

National drinking water assessments for Bangladesh do not reflect local variability, or temporal differences. This paper reports on the findings of an interdisciplinary investigation of drinking water insecurity in a rural coastal south-western Bangladesh. Drinking water quality is assessed by comparison of locally measured concentrations to national levels and water quality criteria; resident's access to potable water and their perceptions are based on local social surveys. Residents in the study area use groundwater far less than the national average; salinity and local rainwater scarcity necessitates the use of multiple water sources throughout the year. Groundwater concentrations of arsenic and specific conductivity (SpC) were greater than surface water (pond) concentrations; there was no statistically significant seasonal difference in mean concentrations in groundwater, but there was for ponds, with arsenic higher in the dry season. Average arsenic concentrations in local water drinking were 2-4 times times the national average. All of the local groundwater samples exceeded the Bangladesh guidance for SpC, although the majority of residents surveyed did not perceive their water as having a 'bad' or 'salty' taste.

Cyclone shelters and their locational suitability: an empirical analysis from coastal Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mallick, Bishawjit

2014-07-01

Bangladesh is one of the poorest and the most disaster-prone countries in Asia; it is important, therefore, to know how its disaster reduction strategies are organised and planned. Cyclone shelters comprise a widely acceptable form of infrastructural support for disaster management in Bangladesh. This paper attempts to analyse empirically their use during cyclones in a sample study area along the southwest coastal belt of the country. It shows how the location of a cyclone shelter can determine the social power structure in coastal Bangladesh. The results reveal that the establishment of cyclone shelters in the studied communities is determined by neither a right-based nor a demand-based planning approach; rather, their creation is dependent on the socio-political affluence of local-level decision-makers. The paper goes on to demonstrate that socially vulnerable households (defined, for example, by income or housing conditions) are afforded disproportionately less access to cyclone shelters as compared to less socially vulnerable households. © 2014 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2014.

Adaptation to climate change in agriculture in Bangladesh: The role of formal institutions.

PubMed

Islam, Md Torikul; Nursey-Bray, Melissa

2017-09-15

Bangladesh is very vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and adaptation is emerging as a key policy response. Place based programs that build adaptive capacity are needed. This paper explores the effectiveness of formal institutions in climate change adaptation for agriculture from the perspectives of farmers and institutional communities of practice within two drought-prone areas in Bangladesh. Our findings show that formal institutions via their communities of practice play an important role in building place based capacity for mitigation and adaptation strategies in agriculture. Over-emphasis on technology, lack of acknowledgement of cultural factors and a failure of institutional communities of practice to mediate and create linkages with informal institutional communities of practice remain barriers. We argue that in order for formal institutions to play an ongoing and crucial role in building adaptive agriculture in Bangladesh, they must incorporate cultural mechanisms and build partnerships with more community based informal institutions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Handwashing practices and challenges in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hoque, B A

2003-06-01

Handwashing is universally promoted in health interventions. Studies in Bangladesh and elsewhere have shown a 14 - 40% reduction of diarrhoeal diseases with handwashing. The perceptions and methods related to washing of hands vary widely in Bangladesh. Socio-economic factors are also associated with methods practised. In general, the effectiveness of handwashing practices is poor. Faecal coliform bacteriological counts were reported to be high for both left and right hands. About 85% of women studied who lived in slums and 41% of rural women washed their hands using only water. However, most women rubbed their hands on the ground, or used soil, and rinsed them with water during post-defecation handwashing. Most women claimed that they could not afford to buy soap. Experimental trials showed that use of soap, ash or soil gave similar results when women washed their hands under the same conditions. The washing of both hands, rubbing of hands, and the amount and quality of rinsing water used were found to be important determinants in the reduction of bacterial counts on hands. Although handwashing messages have been revised by most of the main programmes after these studies, there is scope for further improvement, as well as evaluation of their impact.

Tectonics and petroleum prospects in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chowdhury, A.N.

1995-07-10

Bangladesh is a part of the Bengal basin, bordered to the west and northwest by Jurassic-early Cretaceous volcanic trap rocks of the Rajmahal Hills, underlain by Precambrian shield and Gondwana sediments. The Bengal basin is the largest delta basin (approximately 23,000 sq miles) in the world, at the confluence of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The deep sea fan complex that is being built outward into the Bay of Bengal has in excess of 12 km of sediments. Rate of sediment transportation within the basin, from the Himalayas and the mountains and hills to the north, east, and west, exceedsmore » 1 billion tons/year. The tectonic and sedimentary history of Bangladesh is favorable for hydrocarbon accumulation. The basin is an underexplored region of 207,000 sq km where only 52 exploratory wells have been drilled with a success rate of more than 30%. In addition to the folded belt in the east, where gas and some oil have been found, the Garo-Rajmahal gap to the north and the deep sea fan to the south merit detailed exploration using state of the art technology. The paper describes the tectonics, sedimentation, petroleum prospects, and seismic surveys.« less

Using NOAA/AVHRR based remote sensing data and PCR method for estimation of Aus rice yield in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nizamuddin, Mohammad; Akhand, Kawsar; Roytman, Leonid; Kogan, Felix; Goldberg, Mitch

2015-06-01

Rice is a dominant food crop of Bangladesh accounting about 75 percent of agricultural land use for rice cultivation and currently Bangladesh is the world's fourth largest rice producing country. Rice provides about two-third of total calorie supply and about one-half of the agricultural GDP and one-sixth of the national income in Bangladesh. Aus is one of the main rice varieties in Bangladesh. Crop production, especially rice, the main food staple, is the most susceptible to climate change and variability. Any change in climate will, thus, increase uncertainty regarding rice production as climate is major cause year-to-year variability in rice productivity. This paper shows the application of remote sensing data for estimating Aus rice yield in Bangladesh using official statistics of rice yield with real time acquired satellite data from Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor and Principal Component Regression (PCR) method was used to construct a model. The simulated result was compared with official agricultural statistics showing that the error of estimation of Aus rice yield was less than 10%. Remote sensing, therefore, is a valuable tool for estimating crop yields well in advance of harvest, and at a low cost.

The role of transportation to access maternal care services for women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso: A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Alam, Nazmul; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Kouanda, Seni; Seppey, Mathieu; Alam, Anadil; Savadogo, Justin Ragnessi; Sia, Drissa; Fournier, Pierre

2016-11-01

To understand the role of transportation in accessing health care during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period among women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. An exploratory mixed methods study was conducted in Mymensingh district in Bangladesh and Kaya district in Burkina Faso. We recruited 300 women from Bangladesh and 340 from Burkina Faso with a delivery outcome within one year of interview. Key informant interviews were conducted with 19 participants and 12 focus group discussions took place with attendees in selected community clinics. Of the interviewees, 45.7% in Bangladesh and 73.2% in Burkina Faso reported having had health complications during their last pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum period. Of all women, 42.7% in Bangladesh and 67.4% in Burkina Faso sought facility care for their complications. Facility-based delivery was much higher in Burkina Faso (87.7%) than Bangladesh (38.2%). Literacy, transport availability, transportation costs, and travel time were associated with care seeking behavior. Lack of reliable transportation was reported as a significant barrier to accessing care during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum by women in Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Effort should be made to improve access to emergency obstetric care, and transport intervention should be strengthened. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factors Influencing Primary Students' Learning Achievement in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nath, Samir Ranjan

2012-01-01

Using "Education Watch" database of 2008, this article explores the factors associated with learning achievement of primary school students in Bangladesh. The sample consists of 7,093 fifth graders (final year of compulsory primary education) from 440 primary schools. Based on nationally adopted competencies for primary education, a…

The Finance of Non Government Schools in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puttick, Edwin B.; And Others

The educational system in Bangladesh is unique in its finance and management structure. Elementary and higher education are mostly publicly financed, while secondary and intermediate education are mainly private organized. This study concentrates on private schools at the secondary, intermediate, and college level; and the difference in access…

Case Studies for Management Development in Bangladesh. Fourth Book. Parepared for the World Bank/Bangladesh Management Education and Training Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Gary N.

This document contains five case studies of management and finance situations in Bangladesh, which are intended to foster classroom discussion and thereby advance management development in that country. One to four discussion questions follow each case study. The titles and authors of the case studies on management are: "Azir Ahmed & Co.,…

Case Studies for Management Development in Bangladesh. Third Book. Prepared for the World Bank/Bangladesh Management Education and Training Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Gary N.

This document contains 10 case studies of management situations in Bangladesh, which are intended to foster classroom discussion and thereby advance management development in that country. Two to four discussion questions follow each case study. Three case studies on the subject of pay and compensation were prepared by Abu Hossain Siddique; the…

Gender differences in functional disability and self-care among seniors in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Tareque, Md Ismail; Tiedt, Andrew D; Islam, Towfiqua Mahfuza; Begum, Sharifa; Saito, Yasuhiko

2017-08-08

Disability among older adults is a public health concern. To date there are no in-depth and comprehensive analyses on older adults' disabilities in Bangladesh. This study investigated gender differences in the prevalence of disability and the socio-demographic factors associated with disability among older adults in Bangladesh. This research used a sample of 4176 elderly males and females aged 60 years and over from a nationally representative data set- Bangladesh's 2010 Household Income and Expenditure Survey. The study used both household level and individual level data and applied a wealth index, which was constructed based on household assets using principal component analysis. The Washington Group's short set of questions on disability were used to measure disability. Chi-square tests and ordinal logistic regression models were fit. Forty-two percent of older had some form of functional disability, including 5% of elderly with severe/extreme functional disability. Seven percent of older adults had a self-care disability, including 3% of elderly with a severe/extreme form of self-care disability. Elderly females suffered from all the studied disabilities, including functional and self-care disabilities in higher percentages, and had higher odds ratios of having both functional disability and self-care disability compared to elderly males. The study also identified some significant factors affecting functional disability and self-care disability, namely age, having a chronic condition, wealth status and place of residence, including divisional differences. Programs aimed at reducing functional disability among seniors, particularly elderly females, should be granted the highest priority in Bangladesh.

Patterns and correlates of physical activity in adolescents in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, A; Burton, N W; Trost, S G

2017-04-01

Despite the widely acknowledged public health importance of physical activity (PA), few studies have examined levels of PA in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and correlates of PA in adolescents in Bangladesh. Cross-sectional survey. A total of 798 students, aged 13-17 years; 48% girls, from eight purposively selected secondary schools in Dhaka city, Bangladesh completed a self-administered questionnaire including the 3-Day PA Recall. Parents completed a separate questionnaire to provide household/family-level data. Multilevel generalized linear modelling was used to identify the correlates of PA for boys and girls. Two-thirds (66%) of the adolescents met the recommendations of 60 min/day of moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) daily, with more boys than girls (76% and 55%, respectively). The most common activities reported were walking for travel (42%), cricket (33%) and household chores (30%). Multivariable modelling showed that girls' PA was positively associated with mother's education level, walking to school, involvement in school sports and having home sports equipment. Boys' PA was positively associated with mother's employment, having home sports equipment, having a playground at school and walking to school. One third of adolescents in Bangladesh were insufficiently active with girls less active than boys. Walking to school and access to sports facilities including playgrounds and home equipment may be important to promote activity among Bangladeshi adolescents, with special attention to the girls. Copyright © 2016 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Drinking cholera: salinity levels and palatability of drinking water in coastal Bangladesh.

PubMed

Grant, Stephen Lawrence; Tamason, Charlotte Crim; Hoque, Bilqis Amin; Jensen, Peter Kjaer Mackie

2015-04-01

To measure the salinity levels of common water sources in coastal Bangladesh and explore perceptions of water palatability among the local population to investigate the plausibility of linking cholera outbreaks in Bangladesh with ingestion of saline-rich cholera-infected river water. Hundred participants took part in a taste-testing experiment of water with varying levels of salinity. Salinity measurements were taken of both drinking and non-drinking water sources. Informal group discussions were conducted to gain an in-depth understanding of water sources and water uses. Salinity levels of non-drinking water sources suggest that the conditions for Vibrio cholerae survival exist 7-8 days within the local aquatic environment. However, 96% of participants in the taste-testing experiment reported that they would never drink water with salinity levels that would be conducive to V. cholerae survival. Furthermore, salinity levels of participant's drinking water sources were all well below the levels required for optimal survival of V. cholerae. Respondents explained that they preferred less salty and more aesthetically pleasing drinking water. Theoretically, V. cholerae can survive in the river systems in Bangladesh; however, water sources which have been contaminated with river water are avoided as potential drinking water sources. Furthermore, there are no physical connecting points between the river system and drinking water sources among the study population, indicating that the primary driver for cholera cases in Bangladesh is likely not through the contamination of saline-rich river water into drinking water sources. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

NASA/NOAA implementation of the USAID-sponsored satellite ground station and data processing facility for Bangladesh

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dodge, J. C.; Vermillion, C. H.

1983-01-01

A description is given of a project to transfer multiple environmental satellite data reception, processing, and interpretation capabilities from the U.S. to Bangladesh. The goal of the project is to improve the management of resources related primarily to agriculture, water development, forestry, and fisheries. It is also hoped to improve the existing cyclone/storm surge warning system. An account is given of the interagency and international cooperation underlying the project. The remote-sensing installation in Dhaka, Bangladesh, is described, and the most likely system applications are summarized. Attention is also given to the special requirements concerning this type of technology transfer, and an assessment is made of the project's practical value to Bangladesh.

Bangladesh's SMP earns top marks.

PubMed

1984-01-01

A recent evaluation funded by the US Agency for International Development (AID) confirms that Bangladesh's contraceptive social marketing program has exceeded its planner's goals and demonstrated the ability of such a system to widely distribute contraceptive products at a low cost. The project, which began contraceptive sales in 1975, distributes condoms, oral contraceptives, and foaming vaginal tablets. Almost 25% of contraceptive users in Bangladesh are serviced by the social marketing program. By the end of 1983, the program was providing 1,022,000 couple years of protection; this included 84 million condoms, 1.7 million pill cycles, and 5.1 million spermicidal tablets each year. The program's cost for 1 couple year of protection is US$1.66. Social marketing sales have accounted for all increases in couple years of protection experienced by the country's national population program since 1975. Sales have been boosted by recent efforts to draw rural medical practitioners into family planning activities. Mobile film units have further increased sales. The USAID report identifies 3 elements that have spearheaded the social marketing program's achievements: 1) the existence of a committed core management team, 2) the granting of autonomy to make daily decisions to this management team, and 3) central control fo the product distribution system by management rather than by subcontractors. Overall, the social marketing program is credited with legitimizing discussion of contraception in a country formerly considered too conservative to tolerate open product promotion.

Birth kits for safe motherhood in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nessa, S; Arco, E S; Kabir, I A

1992-01-01

Tetanus infection remains the leading cause of high neonatal mortality in Bangladesh. Birth kits which instruct and assist in a clean, safe birth are seen as a key measure in reducing the high incidence of neonatal deaths. A multisectoral programme has developed a simple kit and tested its potential for distribution to pregnant women. Initial results are positive and development is continuing.

Long-term socioeconomic impacts of flooding in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jina, A.

2013-05-01

Natural disasters lead to myriad negative impacts upon society, causing loss of life, property, and income. Among disasters, floods annually affect the most people, and lead to widespread negative outcomes, particularly in developing countries. While immediate effects of disasters are readily observed, long-term socioeconomic effects have received little attention. Recent work in development economics finds that environmental exposure in early life can have negative impacts upon later outcomes in health, education, and labor markets. Such research is problematic for disasters, however, as objective measurements of hazard exposure are difficult to obtain. This study develops a remote sensing method to detect flooding in Bangladesh, one of the most flood-prone countries, using MODIS 8-day composite data. This approach addresses one of the main problems in the literature on the social impacts of disasters by deriving an objective measure rather than using self-reported damages. Flood data from 2000-2012 is matched to geolocated social surveys conducted by the Bangladesh government to identify impacts of exposure to floods at critical periods of life. While flooding is noted to be a natural and important part of ecosystem functioning in Bangladesh, we aim to understand the impacts of a flood of greater than normal magnitude or abnormal timing to identify the effects on human capital formation. We find that an increase in flooding of one standard deviation (SD) above the mean in the birth month leads to a 3% increase in stunting (2 SD below cohort height). This has implications for physical and cognitive development, shown elsewhere to persist to adulthood. We find that children from households that are exposed to floods while in elementary school are more likely to drop out. Other impacts will be identified in the course of this research. The stated impacts suggest that the long-term health and economic fortunes of the rural poor in Bangladesh are significantly

Epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh: Findings from a nationwide health and injury survey.

PubMed

Hossain, Mohammad Jahangir; Biswas, Animesh; Mashreky, Saidur Rahman; Rahman, Fazlur; Rahman, Aminur

2017-01-01

Background: Annual global death due to drowning accounts for 372,000 lives, 90% of which occur in low and middle income countries. Life in Bangladesh exposes adults and children to may water bodies for daily household needs, and as a result drowning is common. In Bangladesh, due to lack of systemic data collection, drowning among adults is unknown; most research is focused on childhood drowning. The aim of the present study was to explore the epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh. Methodology: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to December in 2003 among 171,366 rural and urban households, with a sample of 819,429 individuals to determine the epidemiology of adulthood drowning in Bangladesh.   Results:   Annual fatal drowning incidence among adults was 5.85/100,000 individuals. Of these, 71.4% were male and 28.6% were female (RR 2.39). In total, 90% of the fatalities were from rural areas. Rural populations were also found to have a 8.58 times higher risk of drowning than those in urban areas. About 95% of drowning occurred in natural water bodies. About 61.6% of the deaths occurred at the scene followed by 33.5% at the home. Of the drowning fatalities, 67% took place in water bodies within 100 meters of the household. Among the drowning fatalities 78.4% occurred in daylight between 7.00 and 18.00. Over 97% of the victims were from poor socio economic conditions with a monthly income tk. 6,000 ($94) or less. Only 25.5% of incidences were reported to the police station. Conclusions: Every year a significant number of adults die due to drowning in Bangladesh.  Populations living in rural areas, especially men, were the main victims of drowning. This survey finding might help policy makers and scientists to understand the drowning scenario among adults in Bangladesh.

Epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh: Findings from a nationwide health and injury survey

PubMed Central

Hossain, Mohammad Jahangir; Biswas, Animesh; Mashreky, Saidur Rahman; Rahman, Fazlur; Rahman, Aminur

2017-01-01

Background: Annual global death due to drowning accounts for 372,000 lives, 90% of which occur in low and middle income countries. Life in Bangladesh exposes adults and children to may water bodies for daily household needs, and as a result drowning is common. In Bangladesh, due to lack of systemic data collection, drowning among adults is unknown; most research is focused on childhood drowning. The aim of the present study was to explore the epidemiology of adulthood drowning deaths in Bangladesh. Methodology: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to December in 2003 among 171,366 rural and urban households, with a sample of 819,429 individuals to determine the epidemiology of adulthood drowning in Bangladesh.   Results:  Annual fatal drowning incidence among adults was 5.85/100,000 individuals. Of these, 71.4% were male and 28.6% were female (RR 2.39). In total, 90% of the fatalities were from rural areas. Rural populations were also found to have a 8.58 times higher risk of drowning than those in urban areas. About 95% of drowning occurred in natural water bodies. About 61.6% of the deaths occurred at the scene followed by 33.5% at the home. Of the drowning fatalities, 67% took place in water bodies within 100 meters of the household. Among the drowning fatalities 78.4% occurred in daylight between 7.00 and 18.00. Over 97% of the victims were from poor socio economic conditions with a monthly income tk. 6,000 ($94) or less. Only 25.5% of incidences were reported to the police station. Conclusions: Every year a significant number of adults die due to drowning in Bangladesh.  Populations living in rural areas, especially men, were the main victims of drowning. This survey finding might help policy makers and scientists to understand the drowning scenario among adults in Bangladesh. PMID:28529716

The importance of skin–to–skin contact for early initiation of breastfeeding in Nigeria and Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Singh, Kavita; Khan, Shane M; Carvajal–Aguirre, Liliana; Brodish, Paul; Amouzou, Agbessi; Moran, Allisyn

2017-01-01

Background Skin–to–skin contact (SSC) between mother and newborn offers numerous protective effects, however it is an intervention that has been under–utilized. Our objectives are to understand which newborns in Bangladesh and Nigeria receive SSC and whether SSC is associated with the early initiation of breastfeeding. Methods Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data were used to study the characteristics of newborns receiving SSC for non–facility births in Nigeria (DHS 2013) and for both facility and non–facility births in Bangladesh (DHS 2014). Multivariable logistic regression was used to study the association between SSC and early initiation of breastfeeding after controlling for key socio–demographic, maternal and newborn–related factors. Results Only 10% of newborns in Nigeria and 26% of newborns in Bangladesh received SSC. In the regression models, SSC was significantly associated with the early initiation of breastfeeding in both countries (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.15–1.76 for Nigeria; OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.04–1.55, for Bangladesh). Findings from the regression analysis for Bangladesh revealed that newborns born by Cesarean section had a 67% lower odds of early initiation of breastfeeding than those born by normal delivery (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.26–0.43). Also in Bangladesh newborns born in a health facility had a 30% lower odds of early initiation of breastfeeding than those born in non–facility environments (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.53–0.92). Early initiation of breastfeeding was significantly associated with parity, urban residence and wealth in Nigeria. Geographic area was significant in the regression analyses for both Bangladesh and Nigeria. Conclusions Coverage of SSC is very low in the two countries, despite its benefits for newborns without complications. SSC has the potential to save newborn lives. There is a need to prioritize training of health providers on the implementation of essential newborn care including SSC

The importance of skin-to-skin contact for early initiation of breastfeeding in Nigeria and Bangladesh.

PubMed

Singh, Kavita; Khan, Shane M; Carvajal-Aguirre, Liliana; Brodish, Paul; Amouzou, Agbessi; Moran, Allisyn

2017-12-01

Skin-to-skin contact (SSC) between mother and newborn offers numerous protective effects, however it is an intervention that has been under-utilized. Our objectives are to understand which newborns in Bangladesh and Nigeria receive SSC and whether SSC is associated with the early initiation of breastfeeding. Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data were used to study the characteristics of newborns receiving SSC for non-facility births in Nigeria (DHS 2013) and for both facility and non-facility births in Bangladesh (DHS 2014). Multivariable logistic regression was used to study the association between SSC and early initiation of breastfeeding after controlling for key socio-demographic, maternal and newborn-related factors. Only 10% of newborns in Nigeria and 26% of newborns in Bangladesh received SSC. In the regression models, SSC was significantly associated with the early initiation of breastfeeding in both countries (OR = 1.42, 95% CI 1.15-1.76 for Nigeria; OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.04-1.55, for Bangladesh). Findings from the regression analysis for Bangladesh revealed that newborns born by Cesarean section had a 67% lower odds of early initiation of breastfeeding than those born by normal delivery (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.26-0.43). Also in Bangladesh newborns born in a health facility had a 30% lower odds of early initiation of breastfeeding than those born in non-facility environments (OR = 0.70, 95% CI 0.53-0.92). Early initiation of breastfeeding was significantly associated with parity, urban residence and wealth in Nigeria. Geographic area was significant in the regression analyses for both Bangladesh and Nigeria. Coverage of SSC is very low in the two countries, despite its benefits for newborns without complications. SSC has the potential to save newborn lives. There is a need to prioritize training of health providers on the implementation of essential newborn care including SSC. Community engagement is also needed to ensure that all women and

Neonatal tetanus in rural Bangladesh: risk factors and toxoid efficacy.

PubMed Central

Hlady, W G; Bennett, J V; Samadi, A R; Begum, J; Hafez, A; Tarafdar, A I; Boring, J R

1992-01-01

OBJECTIVES. Tetanus continues to be a leading cause of neonatal death in Bangladesh as in other developing countries, yet little is known about risk factors or the efficacy of tetanus toxoid in this setting. METHODS. In May 1990, mothers of 6148 infants born alive between March 15, 1989, and March 14, 1990, in 30 rural unions of Rajshahi Division in Bangladesh were interviewed. Three surviving controls for each neonatal tetanus death were matched for sex, residence, and date of birth. RESULTS. Of 330 neonatal deaths, 112 met the case definition for tetanus. Risk was increased with a history of neonatal tetanus in a previous child, application of coconut oil to the vagina, and use of multiple ties on the umbilical cord. Risk was reduced by the birth attendant washing hands and using a cleaned cord-cutting tool. Risk was not reduced by a maternal history of two doses of tetanus toxoid (TT2), although estimated efficacy of TT2 was 45% (95% confidence interval = 16% to 64%). Subsequent to the survey, a reference laboratory reported to potency in three consecutive lots of tetanus vaccine from the production laboratory in Bangladesh. CONCLUSIONS. These findings identify high-risk mothers, stress the importance of washing hands and cleaning the cord-cutting tool, and demand improved quality control of tetanus vaccine production. PMID:1415861

Technical and social evaluation of arsenic mitigation in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shafiquzzaman, Md; Azam, Md Shafiul; Mishima, Iori; Nakajima, Jun

2009-10-01

Technical and social performances of an arsenic-removal technology--the sono arsenic filter--in rural areas of Bangladesh were investigated. Results of arsenic field-test showed that filtered water met the Bangladesh standard (< 50 microg/L) after two years of continuous use. A questionnaire was administrated among 198 sono arsenic filter-user and 230 non-user families. Seventy-two percent of filters (n = 198) were working at the time of the survey. Another 28% of the filters were abandoned due to breakage. The abandonment percentage (28%) was lower than other mitigation options currently implemented in Bangladesh. Households were reluctant to repair the broken filters on their own. High cost, problems with maintenance of filters, weak sludge-disposal guidance, and slow flow rate were the other demerits of the filter. These results indicate that the implementation approaches of the sono arsenic filter suffered from lack of ownership and long-term sustainability. Continuous use of arsenic-contaminated tubewells by the non-user households demonstrated the lack of alternative water supply in the survey area. Willingness of households to pay (about 30%) and preference of household filter (50%) suggest the need to develop a low-cost household arsenic filter. Development of community-based organization would be also necessary to implement a long-term, sustainable plan for household-based technology.

Screening for gestational diabetes mellitus and its prevalence in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Jesmin, Subrina; Akter, Shamima; Akashi, Hidechika; Al-Mamun, Abdullah; Rahman, Md Arifur; Islam, Md Majedul; Sohael, Farzana; Okazaki, Osamu; Moroi, Masao; Kawano, Satoru; Mizutani, Taro

2014-01-01

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has important health complications for both mother and child and is increasing all over the world. Although prevalence estimates for GDM are not new in developed and many developing countries, data are lacking for many low-income countries like Bangladesh. To evaluate the prevalence of GDM in Bangladesh. This cross-sectional study included 3447 women who consecutively visited the antenatal clinics with an average gestation age of 26 weeks. GDM was defined according to WHO criteria (fasting plasma glucose [FPG] ≥7.0 mmol/L or 2-h ≥7.8 mmol/L) and the new ADA criteria (FPG ≥5.3 mmol/L or 2-h ≥8.6 mmol/L OGTT). We also calculated overt diabetes as FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L. Prevalence of GDM was 9.7% according to the WHO criteria and 12.9% according to the ADA criteria in this study population. Prevalence of overt diabetes was 1.8%. Women with GDM were older, higher educated, had higher household income, higher parity, parental history of diabetes, and more hypertensive, compared with non-GDM women. This study demonstrates a high prevalence of GDM in Bangladesh. These estimates for GDM may help to formulate new policies to prevent and manage diabetes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neoliberalism, Policy Reforms and Higher Education in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kabir, Ariful Haq

2013-01-01

Bangladesh has introduced neoliberal policies since the 1970s. Military regimes, since the dramatic political changes in 1975, accelerated the process. A succession of military rulers made rigorous changes in policy-making in various sectors. This article uses a critical approach to document analysis and examines the perceptions of key…

International Briefing 24: Training and Development in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahmood, Monowar; Akhter, Salma

2011-01-01

Training and development activities in Bangladesh have yet to be systematic and able to fulfil the needs of the economy and industry. The national educational and training system failed to provide adequate knowledge and skills to the workforce. However, private sector organizations are undertaking different initiatives to cope with the industry…

Patterns of Use and Perceptions of Harm of Smokeless Tobacco in Navi Mumbai, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Mutti, Seema; Reid, Jessica L.; Gupta, Prakash C.; Pednekar, Mangesh S.; Dhumal, Gauri; Nargis, Nigar; Hussain, AKM Ghulam; Hammond, David

2016-01-01

Background: Globally, smokeless tobacco use is disproportionately concentrated in low-income and middle-income countries like India and Bangladesh. Objectives: The current study examined comparative patterns of use and perceptions of harm for different smokeless tobacco products among adults and youth in Navi Mumbai, India, and Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted on tablets with adult (19 years and older) smokeless tobacco users and youth (16–18 years) users and non-users in Navi Mumbai (n = 1002), and Dhaka (n = 1081). Results: A majority (88.9%) of smokeless tobacco users reported daily use. Approximately one-fifth (20.4%) of the sample were mixed-users (used both smoked and smokeless tobacco), of which about half (54.4%) reported that they primarily used smokeless over smoked forms like cigarettes or bidis. The proportion of users planning to quit was higher in India than in Bangladesh (75.7% vs. 49.8%, p < 0.001). Gutkha was the most commonly used smokeless product in India, and pan masala in Bangladesh. Among users in Bangladesh, the most commonly reported reason for using their usual product was the belief that it was “less harmful” than other types. Perceptions of harm also differed with respect to a respondent's usual product. Bangladeshi respondents reported more negative attitudes toward smokeless tobacco compared to Indian respondents. Conclusions: The findings highlight the high daily use of smokeless tobacco, and the high prevalence of false beliefs about its harms. This set of findings reinforces the need to implement effective tobacco control strategies in low and middle-income countries like India and Bangladesh. PMID:27890978

Type 2 diabetes and its correlates among adults in Bangladesh: a population based study.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Muhammad Abdul Baker; Uddin, Md Jamal; Khan, Hafiz M R; Haque, Md Rabiul

2015-10-19

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh. However, the correlates of type 2 diabetes among adults in Bangladesh remain unknown. We aimed to investigate the correlates of type 2 diabetes among the adults in Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the nationally representative 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. A random sample of 7,543 (3,823 women and 3,720 men) adults of age 35 years and older from both urban and rural areas, who participated in the survey was included. Diabetes was defined as having a fasting plasma blood glucose level of ≥ 7 mm/L or taking diabetes medication during the survey. Hypothesized factors, e.g., age, sex, education, place of residence, social status, body mass index, and hypertension were considered in the analyses. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify the important correlates of type 2 diabetes. Among the respondents, the overall prevalence of diabetes was 11 %, and the prevalence was slightly higher in women (11.2 %) than men (10.6 %). Respondents with the age group of 55-59 years had higher odds of having diabetes (odds ratios (OR) = 2.37, 95 % confidence interval (CI): 1.76-3.21) than the age group of 35-39 years. Moreover, respondents who had higher educational attainment (OR = 1.67, 95 % CI: 1.18-2.36) and higher social status (OR = 2.01, 95 % CI: 1.50-2.70) had higher odds of having diabetes than the respondents with no education and lower social status, respectively. We also found socioeconomic status, place of residence (rural or urban), regions of residence (different divisions), overweight and obesity, and hypertension as significant correlates of type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. Our study shows that older age, higher socioeconomic status, higher educational attainment, hypertension, and obesity were found to be significant correlates of type 2 diabetes. Need-based policy program strategies including early diagnosis

Impact on arsenic exposure of a growing proportion of untested wells in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background In many areas of Bangladesh, it has been more than six years since a national campaign to test tubewells for arsenic (As) was conducted. Many households therefore draw their water for drinking and cooking from untested wells. Methods A household drinking water survey of 6646 households was conducted in Singair upazilla of Bangladesh. A subset of 795 untested wells used by 1000 randomly selected households was tested in the field by trained village workers with the Hach EZ kit, using an extended reaction time of 40 min, and in the laboratory by high-resolution inductively-coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HR ICP-MS). Results The household survey shows that more than 80% of the wells installed since the national testing campaign in this area were untested. Less than 13% of the households with untested wells knew where a low-As well was located near their home. Village workers using the Hach EZ kit underestimated the As content of only 4 out of 795 wells relative to the Bangladesh standard. However, the As content of 168 wells was overestimated relative to the same threshold. Conclusion There is a growing need for testing tubewells in areas of Bangladesh where As concentrations in groundwater are elevated. This could be achieved by village workers trained to use a reliable field kit. Such an effort would result in a considerable drop in As exposure as it increases the opportunities for well switching by households. PMID:22353180

Traditional healing practices in rural Bangladesh: a qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Haque, Md Imdadul; Chowdhury, A B M Alauddin; Shahjahan, Md; Harun, Md Golam Dostogir

2018-02-15

Traditional healing practice is an important and integral part of healthcare systems in almost all countries of the world. Very few studies have addressed the holistic scenario of traditional healing practices in Bangladesh, although these serve around 80% of the ailing people. This study explored distinctive forms of traditional healing practices in rural Bangladesh. During July to October 2007, the study team conducted 64 unstructured interviews, and 18 key informant interviews with traditional healers and patients from Bhabanipur and Jobra, two adjacent villages in Chittagong district, Bangladesh. The study also used participatory observations of traditional healing activities in the treatment centers. Majority of the community members, especially people of low socioeconomic status, first approached the traditional healers with their medical problems. Only after failure of such treatment did they move to qualified physicians for modern treatment. Interestingly, if this failed, they returned to the traditional healers. This study identified both religious and non-religious healing practices. The key religious healing practices reportedly included Kalami, Bhandai, and Spiritual Healing, whereas the non-religious healing practices included Sorcery, Kabiraji, and Home Medicine. Both patients and healers practiced self-medication at home with their indigenous knowledge. Kabiraji was widely practiced based on informal use of local medicinal plants in rural areas. Healers in both Kalami and Bhandari practices resorted to religious rituals, and usually used verses of holy books in healing, which required a firm belief of patients for the treatment to be effective. Sorcerers deliberately used their so-called supernatural power not only to treat a patient but also to cause harm to others upon secret request. The spiritual healing reportedly diagnosed and cured the health problems through communication with sacred spirits. Although the fee for diagnosis was small

Criminal poisoning of commuters in Bangladesh: prospective and retrospective study.

PubMed

Majumder, M Mahbub Alam; Basher, Ariful; Faiz, M Abul; Kuch, Ulrich; Pogoda, Werner; Kauert, Gerold F; Toennes, Stefan W

2008-08-25

Travel-related poisoning is an emerging social and public health emergency in Bangladesh but its cause and significance have not been determined. To investigate this syndrome we performed a prospective clinical study and retrospective analysis of hospital records in a general medicine unit of a public tertiary care teaching hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using toxicological analysis by fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) and liquid chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-TOF MS). The participants of the prospective study were 130 consecutive patients aged 16-80 years who were admitted with central nervous system depression (Glasgow Coma Score 3-14) after using public transportation, in the absence of other abnormalities, from January through June 2004, and a convenience sample of 15 such patients admitted during 3 days in May 2006. In 2004-2006, travel-related poisoning increased from 6.1 to 9.5% of all admissions (210-309 of 3266-3843 per year), representing 46.6-55.7% of all admitted poisoning cases. Incidents were associated with bus (76%), taxi, train, and air travel, or local markets; 98% of patients remembered buying or accepting food or drinks before losing consciousness. Direct financial damage (missing property) was diverse and frequently existential. Among 94 urine samples analyzed by FPIA, 74% tested positive for benzodiazepines. Among 15 urine samples analyzed by LC-TOF MS, lorazepam was detected in all; five also contained diazepam or metabolites; nitrazepam was present in three. FPIA results obtained for these 15 samples were below the recommended cut-off in eight (53%; lorazepam only). Our findings show that the massive medicosocial emergency of travel-related poisoning in Bangladesh is the result of drug-facilitated organized crime and that benzodiazepine drugs are used to commit these crimes, suggesting modifications to the local emergency management of the victims of this type of poisoning. They also highlight the

Bangladesh.

PubMed

1992-12-01

Bangladesh is a country of 143,998 sq.km with 116 million inhabitants, of whom 47-22% for males and females, respectively, are literate. Independence was gained on 1971. The terrain consists of mainly flat, alluvial plain, with hills in the Southeast, with a climate which is semi-tropical with monsoons. Bangla and English are spoken by Bengali, nonBengali Muslims, and other ethnic groups who are of mainly Muslim and Hindu faiths. Life expectancy ranges over 52-54 years. GDP is $23 billion, growing at a rate of 3.6%. Per capita income is $198. The country's natural resources include natural gas and water. Rice, jute, tea, sugar, wheat, jute goods, garments, frozen shrimp, textiles, fertilizer, leather, metal reprocessing, pharmaceutical, and newspring are areas of economic production. Capital goods, foodgrains, petroleum, consumer goods, fertilizer, chemicals, vegetable oils, and textiles are imported, and ready-made garments, jute goods, leather, frozen fish, shrimp, raw jute, and tea are exported. In-depth information is also given on the people and history, government and principal officials, political conditions, the economy, defense, foreign relations with the U.S., and names of principal U.S. officials in the country.

Inclusive Education Reform in Primary Schools of Bangladesh: Leadership Challenges and Possible Strategies to Address the Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mullick, Jahirul; Deppeler, Joanne; Sharma, Umesh

2012-01-01

Inclusive education (IE) is at an early stage of development in Bangladesh. In response to international policies and declarations over the past two decades (UNESCO, 1990; UNSCO, 1994, UNESCO, 2000) IE reform in Bangladesh has enacted a number of national policies and developed several professional development initiatives. This paper reports on…

Estimating the impact of vitamin A-fortified vegetable oil in Bangladesh in the absence of dietary assessment data.

PubMed

Fiedler, John L; Lividini, Keith; Bermudez, Odilia I

2015-02-01

Vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem in Bangladesh. The 2011-12 Bangladesh Micronutrient Survey found 76·8% of children of pre-school age were vitamin A deficient. In the absence of nationally representative, individual dietary assessment data, we use an alternative--household income and expenditure survey data--to estimate the potential impact of the introduction of vitamin A-fortified vegetable oil in Bangladesh. Items in the household income and expenditure survey were matched to food composition tables to estimate households' usual vitamin A intakes. Then, assuming (i) the intra-household distribution of food is in direct proportion to household members' share of the household's total adult male consumption equivalents, (ii) all vegetable oil that is made from other-than mustard seed and that is purchased is fortifiable and (iii) oil fortification standards are implemented, we modelled the additional vitamin A intake due to the new fortification initiative. Nationwide in Bangladesh. A weighted sample of 12,240 households comprised of 55,580 individuals. Ninety-nine per cent of the Bangladesh population consumes vegetable oil. The quantities consumed are sufficiently large and, varying little by socio-economic status, are able to provide an important, large-scale impact. At full implementation, vegetable oil fortification will reduce the number of persons with inadequate vitamin A intake from 115 million to 86 million and decrease the prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake from 80% to 60%. Vegetable oil is an ideal fortification vehicle in Bangladesh. Its fortification with vitamin A is an important public health intervention.

Bangladesh History, Society and Culture: An Introductory Bibliography of Secondary Materials. South Asia Series, Occasional Paper No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bertocci, Peter J., Comp.

A list of descriptive scholarly works relevant to Bangladesh are compiled in an introductory bibliography for nonspecialist users that describes essential aspects of Bangladesh's history, society, and culture. History is emphasized, but the listing also includes documents about social/cultural anthropology, sociology, demography, economics,…

Determinants of enrollment of informal sector workers in cooperative based health scheme in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ahmed, Sayem; Islam, Ziaul; Morton, Alec; Khan, Jahangir A M

2017-01-01

Providing access to affordable health care for the informal sector remains a considerable challenge for low income countries striving to make progress towards universal health coverage. The objective of the study is to identify the factors shaping the decision to enroll in a cooperative based health scheme for informal workers in Bangladesh and also help to identify the features of informal workers without health schemes and their likelihood of being insured. Data were derived from a cross-sectional in-house survey within the catchment area of a cooperative based health scheme in Bangladesh during April-June 2014, covering a total of 784 households (458 members and 326 non-members). Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with cooperative based health scheme and explanatory variables. This study found that a number of factors were significant determinants of health scheme participation including sex of household head, household composition, occupational category as well as involvement social financial safety net programs. Findings from this study can be suggestive for policy-makers interested in scaling up health insurance for informal workers in Bangladesh. Shared funding from this large informal sector can generate new resources for healthcare, which is in line with the healthcare financing strategy of Bangladesh as well as the recommendation of the World Health Organization for developing social health insurance as part of the path to Universal Health Coverage.

Smokeless tobacco product prices and taxation in Bangladesh: Findings from the ITC survey

PubMed Central

Nargis, N; Hussain, AKMG; Fong, GT

2015-01-01

Context Smokeless tobacco use is well-recognized as occupying a significant portion of overall tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. Yet very little is known about the effectiveness of tax and price policy in controlling the use of smokeless tobacco use in the country. Aims The aims of this paper are to examine the price distribution of various smoked and smokeless tobacco products and estimate the effects of changes in the prices of tobacco products on the consumption of smokeless tobacco. Settings and Design The data for this paper came from the Wave 3 ITC Bangladesh (ITC BD) Survey conducted between November 2011 and May 2012. It is a cohort survey of a nationally representative sample of adult tobacco users and non-users in Bangladesh selected using a stratified multistage cluster sampling design. Two measures of smokeless tobacco use are used in the analysis—prevalence of smokeless tobacco use indicating the decision to use smokeless tobacco products, and the frequency of using smokeless tobacco per day indicating intensity of smokeless tobacco use. Methods and Material The regression analysis involves estimation of the demand function for the most widely used smokeless tobacco product in Bangladesh, zarda. Statistical analysis used The descriptive analysis looks at the characteristics of the price distribution of cigarette, bidi, zarda, and gul using the univariate Epanechnikov kernel density estimation. Results It estimates the price elasticity of lower price brands of zarda (the most commonly used smokeless tobacco product in Bangladesh) at -0.64 and of higher-priced brands at -0.39, and the cross-price elasticity of zarda with respect to cigarettes at 0.35. Conclusions The tax increase on smokeless tobacco products needs to be greater than the tax increase on smoked tobacco products to bridge the wide price differential between the two types of products that currently encourages downward substitution and discourages quitting behaviour. Finally, a specific

Index based regional vulnerability assessment to cyclones hazards of coastal area of Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammad, Q. A.; Kervyn, M.; Khan, A. U.

2016-12-01

Cyclone, storm surge, coastal flooding, salinity intrusion, tornado, nor'wester, and thunderstorms are the listed natural hazards in the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Bangladesh was hit by devastating cyclones in 1970, 1991, 2007, 2009, and 2016. Intensity and frequency of natural hazards in the coastal area are likely to increase in future due to climate change. Risk assessment is one of the most important steps of disaster risk reduction. As a climate change victim nation, Bangladesh claims compensation from green climate fund. It also created its own climate funds. It is therefore very important to assess vulnerability of the coast of Bangladesh to natural hazards for efficient allocation of financial investment to support the national risk reduction. This study aims at identifying the spatial variations in factors contributing to vulnerability of the coastal inhabitants of Bangladesh to natural hazards. An exploratory factor analysis method has been used to assess the vulnerability at each local administrative unit. The 141 initially selected 141 socio-economic indicators were reduced to 41 by converting some of them to meaningful widely accepted indicators and removing highly correlated indicators. Principle component analysis further reduced 41 indicators to 13 dimensions which explained 79% of total variation. PCA dimensions show three types of characteristics of the people that may lead people towards vulnerability. They are (a) demographic, education and job opportunities, (b) access to basic needs and facilities, and (c) special needs people. Vulnerability maps of the study area has been prepared by weighted overlay of the dimensions. Study revealed that 29 and 8 percent of total coastal area are very high and high vulnerable to natural hazards respectively. These are distributed along sea boundary and major rivers. Comparison of this spatial distribution with the capacities to face disaster show that highly vulnerable areas are well covered by cyclone

Estimation of the rice-planting field in Bangladesh by satellite remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuta, E.; Suzuki, G.; Yamassaki, M.; Teraoka, T.; Fujiwara, H.; Ogino, Y.; Akashi, M.; Lahrita, L.; Naruse, N.; Takahashi, Y.

2016-12-01

In Bangladesh, price of rice has been unstable due to a large increase in production. To control the price can become a political issue, because rice agriculture is one of the most important industries in Bangladesh, whereas the total area of the paddy field is accurately unknown, owing to unsustainable and on-site surveys for the area (1). Satellite remote sensing is an effective solution to research the all area of domestic paddy field. Microwave satellite imaging has a large merit to be observable regardless of the weather conditions, however, research institutions have been limited to observing continuously since the cost is high for developing countries, such as Bangladesh. This study aims to establish the way to grasp the paddy field using optical satellite images for free of charge (Landsat-8). We have focused on seasonal changes in the water and the vegetation indices obtained from paddy fields. We have performed image calculations of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) of the well-known paddy field in Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. We found that there are seasonal changes of NDVI and NDWI calculated from paddy field. The characteristics are as follows; the NDVI and the NDWI values varies by 0.17-0.25 up and 0.11-0.19 down, respectively, at the transition from the dry to the rainy season, on the other hand, the NDVI and the NDWI changes by 0.21-0.29 down and 0.09-0.17 up from the rainy to the dry season. These features make us to distinguish the paddy field from the other cultivated area. The decrease of NDVI means that rice bares, The increase of NDWI can be interpreted that the paddy field is covered with water for the preparation for planting it. Our estimated area of paddy field in Bangladesh (85,900km ) corresponds well with the previous reported value of 117,700km (1). We have established the way to grasp the paddy field using optical satellite images for free of charge, on the bases of the

Generating Evidence for Program Planning: Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Muhit, Mohammad; Wadud, Zakia; Islam, Johurul; Khair, Zareen; Shamanna, B R; Jung, Jenny; Khandaker, Gulam

2016-06-01

There is a lack of data on the prevalence and causes of blindness in Bangladesh, which is important to plan effective eye health programs and advocate support services to achieve the goals of Vision 2020. We conducted a rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) in 8 districts of Bangladesh (January 2010 - December 2012) to establish the prevalence and causes of blindness. People aged ≥50 years were selected, and eligible participants had visual acuity (VA) measured. Ocular examinations were performed in those with VA<6/18. Additional information was collected for those who had or had not undergone cataract surgery to understand service barriers and quality of service. In total, 21,596 people were examined, of which 471 (2.2%, 95% confidence interval, CI, 2.0-2.4%) were blind. The primary cause of blindness was cataract (75.8%). The majority of blindness (86.2%) was avoidable. Cataract and refractive error were the primary causes of severe visual impairment (73.6%) and moderate visual impairment (63.6%), respectively. Cataract surgical coverage for blind persons was 69.3% (males 76.6%, females 64.3%, P<0.001). The magnitude of blindness among people aged ≥50 years was estimated to be 563,200 people (95% CI 512,000-614,400), of whom 426,342 had un-operated cataract. In Bangladesh, the majority of blindness (86.2%) among people aged ≥50 years was avoidable, and cataract was the most important cause of avoidable blindness. Improving cataract surgical services and refraction services would be the most important step towards the elimination of avoidable blindness in Bangladesh.

Economic development and population policy in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khan, M R

1984-09-01

This paper deals with Bangladesh's growth rate and the policy implications for its economy. Despite its obvious influence on the economy, population has never been integrated as an endogenous variable in any planning model. Development planning is mostly supported by donor agencies, involving little micro-level planning and practically no trickle-down effect. This paper examines the interaction of population and other development variables in the country's planning process. Much of the rural population consists of landless farmers share croppers, so that the land ownership pattern contributes to low productivity. Population increase is making the rural masses even poorer. This process is further compounded by increasing foreign aid dependence, adverse terms of trade in the international market, low savings and investments, and the rural sector's worsening terms of trade. During 1950-1970 real per capita gross domestic product (GDP) increased only at a rate of 1% per annum and during 1950-1970 real growth of GDP fell behind the population growth rate. A cost benefit analysis of fertility reduction is needed. The cost benefit ratio of most countries varies between 1:10 to 1:30; for Bangladesh it is 1:16. Macro-model studies indicate that the higher the fertility reduction and shorter the period of required decline, the higher will be the benefits in terms of gains in per capita income. There is, however, a contradiction between national and household interests. The latter's decision to have more children has a negative spillover effect, which nullifies the gains of the community. The national family planning program suffered a serious setback during and after the liberation of Bangladesh, mainly due to lack of administrative leadership and support. In order for the population growth rate to be checked and to increase the quality of life for the entire population, the family planning program must be revitalized by mobilizing the entire government machinery and

Measuring Progress Toward Universal Health Coverage: Does the Monitoring Framework of Bangladesh Need Further Improvement?

PubMed Central

Shahabuddin, ASM

2018-01-01

This review aimed to compare Bangladesh’s Universal Health Coverage (UHC) monitoring framework with the global-level recommendations and to find out the existing gaps of Bangladesh’s UHC monitoring framework compared to the global recommendations. In order to reach the aims of the review, we systematically searched two electronic databases - PubMed and Google Scholar - by using appropriate keywords to select articles that describe issues related to UHC and the monitoring framework of UHC applied globally and particularly in Bangladesh. Four relevant documents were found and synthesized. The review found that Bangladesh incorporated all of the recommendations suggested by the global monitoring framework regarding mentoring the financial risk protection and equity perspective. However, a significant gap in the monitoring framework related to service coverage was observed. Although Bangladesh has a significant burden of mental illnesses, cataract, and neglected tropical diseases, indicators related to these issues were absent in Bangladesh’s UHC framework. Moreover, palliative-care-related indicators were completely missing in the framework. The results of this review suggest that Bangladesh should incorporate these indicators in their UHC monitoring framework in order to track the progress of the country toward UHC more efficiently and in a robust way. PMID:29541562

Rural settlements dynamics and the prospects of densification strategy in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Alam, A F M Ashraful; Asad, Rumana; Enamul Kabir, Md

2016-01-01

Given the year on year decrease of rural farmland and various forms of land degradation through the intrusion of non-farm land uses, the government of Bangladesh has drafted the agrarian reform strategies, primarily to protect the agricultural land from encroachment, conversion, and indiscriminate use. The draft Agricultural Land Protection and Land Use Bill since its inception in 2011 is facing serious uncertainties of implementation due to its borrowed nature from the developed contexts and inadequacy to recognize the local complexities. With a particular focus on the densification component of the draft bill, a semester-long design studio was conducted in consultation with the existing villagers to explore the practicability of the draft bill in the villages of Tetultala and Chhoygharia in the south-western coastal Bangladesh. The findings from the two villages hint that in Bangladesh, the unique and evolving nature of rural settlements dynamics that are disintegrating the rural society from farming practices and the farmland, thereby, unsettling the traditional village-morphology. The settlements dynamics vary from those of the western context; hence, there is an emerging need to build locally situated knowledge towards a feasible rural land reform.

Protective Benefits of Deep Tube Wells Against Childhood Diarrhea in Matlab, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Winston, Jennifer Jane; Escamilla, Veronica; Perez-Heydrich, Carolina; Carrel, Margaret; Yunus, Mohammad; Streatfield, Peter Kim

2013-01-01

Objectives. We investigated whether deep tube wells installed to provide arsenic-free groundwater in rural Bangladesh have the added benefit of reducing childhood diarrheal disease incidence. Methods. We recorded cases of diarrhea in children younger than 5 years in 142 villages of Matlab, Bangladesh, during monthly community health surveys in 2005 and 2006. We surveyed the location and depth of 12 018 tube wells and integrated these data with diarrhea data and other data in a geographic information system. We fit a longitudinal logistic regression model to measure the relationship between childhood diarrhea and deep tube well use. We controlled for maternal education, family wealth, year, and distance to a deep tube well. Results. Household clusters assumed to be using deep tube wells were 48.7% (95% confidence interval = 27.8%, 63.5%) less likely to have a case of childhood diarrhea than were other household clusters. Conclusions. Increased access to deep tube wells may provide dual benefits to vulnerable populations in Matlab, Bangladesh, by reducing the risk of childhood diarrheal disease and decreasing exposure to naturally occurring arsenic in groundwater. PMID:23409905

Wheat production in Bangladesh: its future in the light of global warming.

PubMed

Hossain, Akbar; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A

2013-01-01

The most fundamental activity of the people of Bangladesh is agriculture. Modelling projections for Bangladesh indicate that warmer temperatures linked to climate change will severely reduce the growth of various winter crops (wheat, boro rice, potato and winter vegetables) in the north and central parts. In summer, crops in south-eastern parts of the country are at risk from increased flooding as sea levels increase. Wheat is one of the most important winter crops and is temperature sensitive and the second most important grain crop after rice. In this review, we provide an up-to-date and detailed account of wheat research of Bangladesh and the impact that global warming may have on agriculture, especially wheat production. Although flooding is not of major importance or consequence to the wheat crop at present, some perspectives are provided on this stress since wheat is flood sensitive and the incidence of flooding is likely to increase. This information and projections will allow wheat breeders to devise new breeding programmes to attempt to mitigate future global warming. We discuss what this implies for food security in the broader context of South Asia.

Wheat production in Bangladesh: its future in the light of global warming

PubMed Central

Hossain, Akbar; Teixeira da Silva, Jaime A.

2012-01-01

Background and aims The most fundamental activity of the people of Bangladesh is agriculture. Modelling projections for Bangladesh indicate that warmer temperatures linked to climate change will severely reduce the growth of various winter crops (wheat, boro rice, potato and winter vegetables) in the north and central parts. In summer, crops in south-eastern parts of the country are at risk from increased flooding as sea levels increase. Key facts Wheat is one of the most important winter crops and is temperature sensitive and the second most important grain crop after rice. In this review, we provide an up-to-date and detailed account of wheat research of Bangladesh and the impact that global warming may have on agriculture, especially wheat production. Although flooding is not of major importance or consequence to the wheat crop at present, some perspectives are provided on this stress since wheat is flood sensitive and the incidence of flooding is likely to increase. Projections This information and projections will allow wheat breeders to devise new breeding programmes to attempt to mitigate future global warming. We discuss what this implies for food security in the broader context of South Asia. PMID:23304431

Health sciences libraries and information services in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Khan, M S; Ahmed, Z; Akhter, N

1990-01-01

Basic problems relating to the status of health sciences libraries and information centers in Bangladesh are highlighted and discussed; strategies for improving the country's health sciences information services are suggested. A survey of libraries is reported, the country's national science and technology information policy is defined, and recommendations for action are proposed. PMID:2224300

Exposure-based screening for Nipah virus encephalitis, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sazzad, Hossain M S; Luby, Stephen P; Ströher, Ute; Daszak, Peter; Sultana, Sharmin; Afroj, Sayma; Rahman, Mahmudur; Gurley, Emily S

2015-02-01

We measured the performance of exposure screening questions to identify Nipah virus encephalitis in hospitalized encephalitis patients during the 2012-13 Nipah virus season in Bangladesh. The sensitivity (93%), specificity (82%), positive predictive value (37%), and negative predictive value (99%) results suggested that screening questions could more quickly identify persons with Nipah virus encephalitis.

A Study of Learners Perception and Attitude towards BA/BSS Program of SSHL of Bangladesh Open University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultana, Sabiha; Jahan, Tasrun; Numan, Sharker Md.

2011-01-01

In the present day open and distance education has become a significant way of the development of higher education. Bangladesh Open University (BOU), the only public institution in Bangladesh offers several formal and non-formal programs from secondary to post graduate level through distance mode. The main objectives of BOU's program is to provide…

Design and Fabrication of Solar Updraft Tower and Estimation of Power Generation; Initially Focused on Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayub, F.; Akhand, S.; Khan, A. S.; Saklayen, G.

2018-05-01

In our studies we focused on area of sourcing, converting and delivering sustainable energy, concentrating at the potential role of solar power. Power generation through a solar updraft tower (SUT) has been a promising approach for sustainable generation of renewable energy. Developing nations are faced with many challenges. Conventional sources are insufficient to meet the increasing demand of a developing, industrious nation (e.g. Bangladesh). Our project aims in reducing electricity crisis and forming a solution for our country, Bangladesh. The electricity generated can be supplied to the national grid. This will mean reduced cost for the government in the long run and also allow the government to reduce its dependency on costly and unsustainable fossil fuel. This cost reduction benefit can be passed on to the public as reduced energy cost or preferably through nationwide energy infrastructure development. This technology will not only help with the energy concern of Bangladesh but also will help to improve the situations of other developing countries alike Bangladesh. All in all implementing this technology will pave the way towards a better world and form a part of an integrated ecosystem of sustainable energy technology.

Microfinance Participation and Domestic Violence in Bangladesh: Results From a Nationally Representative Survey.

PubMed

Murshid, Nadine Shaanta; Akincigil, Ayse; Zippay, Allison

2016-05-01

This article examines domestic violence among women who participate in microfinance in Bangladesh. Secondary analysis of survey data from nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey was used to investigate the association between microfinance participation and domestic violence of 4,163 ever-married women between the ages of 18 and 49 years. Outcome measure is experience of domestic violence as measured by a modified Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS) and predictor variables include microfinance, binary indicator of relatively better economic status, autonomy, decision-making power, and demographic variables. The likelihood of experiencing domestic violence was not found to vary with microfinance participation. However, the interaction effect of microfinance and better economic status was found to be significantly associated with domestic violence (9% increased probability). Experience of domestic violence was negatively associated with older age, higher education of the husband, and autonomy. In Bangladesh, microfinance participation may be associated with a higher probability of experiencing domestic violence for women with relatively better economic status, but not for the poorest of the poor. © The Author(s) 2015.

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (subtype H5N1) clades in Bangladesh, 2010 and 2011.

PubMed

Osmani, Muzaffar G; Ward, Michael P; Giasuddin, Md; Islam, Md Rafiqul; Kalam, Abul

2014-04-01

Since the global spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 during 2005-2006, control programs have been successfully implemented in most affected countries. HPAI H5N1 was first reported in Bangladesh in 2007, and since then 546 outbreaks have been reported to the OIE. The disease has apparently become endemic in Bangladesh. Spatio-temporal information on 177 outbreaks of HPAI H5N1 occurring between February 2010 and April 2011 in Bangladesh, and 37 of these outbreaks in which isolated H5N1 viruses were phylogenetically characterized to clade, were analyzed. Three clades were identified, 2.2 (21 cases), 2.3.4 (2 cases) and 2.3.2.1 (14 cases). Clade 2.2 was identified throughout the time period and was widely distributed in a southeast-northwest orientation. Clade 2.3.2.1 appeared later and was generally confined to central Bangladesh in a north-south orientation. Based on a direction test, clade 2.2 viruses spread in a southeast-to-northwest direction, whereas clade 2.3.2.1 spread west-to-east. The magnitude of spread of clade 2.3.2.1 was greater relative to clade 2.2 (angular concentration 0.2765 versus 0.1860). In both cases, the first outbreak(s) were identified as early outliers, but in addition, early outbreaks (one each) of clade 2.2 were also identified in central Bangladesh and in northwest Bangladesh, a considerable distance apart. The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in Bangladesh is characterized by reported long-distance translocation events. This poses a challenge to disease control efforts. Increased enforcement of biosecurity and stronger control of movements between affected farms and susceptible farms, and better surveillance and reporting, is needed. Although the movement of poultry and equipment appears to be a more likely explanation for the patterns identified, the relative contribution of trade and the market chain versus wild birds in spreading the disease needs further investigation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All

Water Quality vs. Sanitation Accessibility: What is the most effective intervention point for preventing cholera in Dhaka, Bangladesh?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majumder, M. S.; Gute, D.; Faruque, A. S.

2011-12-01

Every year, 3 to 5 million individuals contract cholera, an acute diarrheal infection that is caused by the ingestion of food or water containing the Vibrio cholerae bacterium. Because cholera is a waterborne disease, it can be transmitted quickly in environments with inadequate water and sanitation systems where infected waste can easily pollute drinking water. Today, Bangladesh continues to struggle with endemic cholera. Donor organizations address water and sanitation via localized initiatives, including the installation of community water collection sites (i.e. tubewells; water-boiling points; etc.). At this small-scale level, water quality and sanitation accessibility can be improved independently of one another, and when resources are limited, donors must invest in the most effective disease prevention options. This study used laboratory-confirmed cholera incidence data (2000-2009) collected by the International Centre of Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh at their on-site hospital to compare the efficacy of interventions addressing water quality versus sanitation accessibility in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data regarding use of sanitary latrines and boiling of drinking water were extracted from sequential patient interviews conducted at the Dhaka facility and used as surrogate variables for sanitation accessibility and water quality respectively. Our analysis indicates that boiling water is 10 times more effective at preventing cholera than the use of a sanitary latrine. This finding suggests that regulating water quality is perhaps more critical to cholera prevention than increasing sanitation accessibility in an urban environment like that of Dhaka. At present, WaterAid - one of Bangladesh's most significant water and sanitation donor organizations - invests the majority of its budget on improving sanitation accessibility. The World Health Organization and the United Nations Millennium Development Goals also prioritize sanitation accessibility. However, in

Emerging from the tragedies in Bangladesh: a challenge to voluntarism in the global economy.

PubMed

Claeson, Björn Skorpen

2015-02-01

Under the regime of private company or multi-stakeholder voluntary codes of conduct and industry social auditing, workers have absorbed low wages and unsafe and abusive conditions; labor leaders and union members have become the targets of both government and factory harassment and violence; and trade union power has waned. Nowhere have these private systems of codes and audits so clearly failed to protect workers as in Bangladesh's apparel industry. However, international labor groups and Bangladeshi unions have succeeded in mounting a challenge to voluntarism in the global economy, persuading more than 180 companies to make a binding and enforceable commitment to workers' safety in an agreement with 12 unions. The extent to which this Bangladesh Accord will be able to influence the entrenched global regime of voluntary codes and weak trade unions remains an open question. But if the Accord can make progress in Bangladesh, it can help to inspire similar efforts in other countries and in other industries. © 2015 SAGE Publications.

Ganokendra: An Innovative Model for Poverty Alleviation in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alam, Kazi Rafiqul

2006-01-01

Ganokendras (people's learning centers) employ a literacy-based approach to alleviating poverty in Bangladesh. They give special attention to empowering rural women, among whom poverty is widespread. The present study reviews the Ganokendra-approach to facilitating increased political and economic awareness and improving community conditions in…

Learning from Real-Life Problems: Functional Education in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Islam, Mahmood Aminul

1980-01-01

Describes a program in Bangladesh designed to make the rural poor understand their social and economic problems in order to begin to bring about change through their own efforts. The program is functional education and includes topics in family planning, health, housing, nutrition, and agriculture. (Author/SA)

Skill Intensity and Skills Development in Bangladesh Manufacturing Enterprises

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comyn, Paul

2013-01-01

This paper reports on recent research into enterprise skill profiles and workplace training practices in the Bangladesh manufacturing industry. The article presents survey and interview data for 37 enterprises across eight manufacturing sectors collected during a study for the International Labour Organisation. The research analysed enterprise and…

Sedimentation and tectonics of the Sylhet trough, Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, S.Y.; Nur Alam, A.M.

1991-01-01

The Sylhet trough, a sub-basin of the Bengal Basin in northeastern Bangladesh, contains a thick fill (12 to 16 km) of late Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata that record its tectonic evolution. Stratigraphic, sedimentologic, and petrographic data collected from outcrops, cores, well logs, and seismic lines are used to reconstruct the history of this trough. -from Authors

Current state of traffic pollution in Bangladesh and metropolitan Dhaka

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karim, Masud; Matsui, Hiroshi; Ohno, Takashi

1997-12-31

Limited resources, invested for the development of transport facilities, such as infrastructure and vehicles, coupled with the rapid rise in transport demand, existence of a huge number of non-motorized vehicles on roads, lack of application of adequate and proper traffic management schemes are producing severe transport problems in almost all the urban areas of Bangladesh. Worsening situation of traffic congestion in the streets and sufferings of the inhabitants from vehicle emissions demand extensive research in this field. However, no detailed study concerning traffic congestion and pollution problems for urban areas of Bangladesh has yet been done. Therefore, it has becomemore » increasingly important to examine the present state of the problem. This research is a preliminary evaluation of the current situation of traffic pollution problem in Bangladesh. The daily total emissions of NO{sub x}, HC, CO, PM, and SO{sub x} are estimated using the daily fuel consumption and total traffic flows in Dhaka city. Estimated daily emissions are 42, 39, 314, 14, and 42 t/d for NO{sub x}, HC, CO, PM, and SO{sub x}, respectively. The emissions estimated using two different methods revealed good correlation. Daily average concentration of NO{sub x} (NO{sub 2}, NO) were measured at 30 street locations in Dhaka city during September and November, 1996. The results showed extremely high concentrations of NO{sub 2} and NO in these locations.« less

Performing monkeys of Bangladesh: characterizing their source and genetic variation

PubMed Central

Hasan, M Kamrul; Feeroz, M Mostafa; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Engel, Gregory A; Akhtar, Sharmin; Kanthaswamy, Sree; Smith, David Glenn

2016-01-01

The acquisition and training of monkeys to perform is a century's old tradition in South Asia, resulting in a large number of rhesus macaques kept in captivity for this purpose. The performing monkeys are reportedly collected from free-ranging populations and may escape from their owners or be released into other populations. In order to determine whether this tradition, that involves the acquisition and movement of animals, has influenced the population structure of free-ranging rhesus macaques in Bangladesh we first characterized the source of these monkeys. Biological samples from 65 performing macaques, collected between January 2010 and August 2013 were analyzed for genetic variation using 716 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA. Performing monkey sequences were compared with those of free-ranging rhesus macaque populations in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Forty-five haplotypes with 116 (16%) polymorphic nucleotide sites were detected among the performing monkeys. As for the free-ranging rhesus population, most of the substitutions (89%) were transitions and no indels (insertion/deletion) were observed. The estimate of the mean number of pair-wise difference for the performing monkey population was 10.1264 ± 4.686, compared to 14.076 ± 6.363 for the free-ranging population. Fifteen free-ranging rhesus macaque populations were identified as the source of performing monkeys in Bangladesh; several of these populations were from areas where active provisioning has resulted in a large number of macaques. Collection of performing monkeys from India was also evident. PMID:26758818

Calcium Deficiency in Bangladesh: Burden and Proposed Solutions for the First 1000 Days

PubMed Central

Bromage, Sabri; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Fawzi, Wafaie W.

2016-01-01

Background Bangladesh incurs among the highest prevalence of stunting and micronutrient deficiencies in the world, despite efforts against diarrheal disease, respiratory infections, and protein energy malnutrition which have led to substantial and continuous reductions in child mortality over the past 35 years. Although programs have generally paid more attention to other micronutrients, the local importance of calcium to health has been less recognized. Objective To synthesize available information on calcium deficiency in Bangladesh in order to inform the design of an effective national calcium program. Methods We searched 3 online databases and a multitude of survey reports to conduct a narrative review of calcium epidemiology in Bangladesh, including population intake, determinants and consequences of deficiency, and tested interventions, with particular reference to young children and women of childbearing age. This was supplemented with secondary analysis of a national household survey in order to map the relative extent of calcium adequacy among different demographics. Results Intake of calcium is low in the general population of Bangladesh, with potentially serious and persistent effects on public health. These effects are especially pertinent to young children and reproductive-age women, by virtue of increased physiologic needs, disproportionately poor access to dietary calcium sources, and a confluence of other local determinants of calcium status in these groups. Conclusion A tablet supplementation program for pregnant women is an appealing approach for the reduction in preeclampsia and preterm birth. Further research is warranted to address the comparative benefit of different promising approaches in children for the prevention of rickets. PMID:27307152

Calcium Deficiency in Bangladesh: Burden and Proposed Solutions for the First 1000 Days.

PubMed

Bromage, Sabri; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Fawzi, Wafaie W

2016-12-01

Bangladesh incurs among the highest prevalence of stunting and micronutrient deficiencies in the world, despite efforts against diarrheal disease, respiratory infections, and protein-energy malnutrition which have led to substantial and continuous reductions in child mortality over the past 35 years. Although programs have generally paid more attention to other micronutrients, the local importance of calcium to health has been less recognized. To synthesize available information on calcium deficiency in Bangladesh in order to inform the design of an effective national calcium program. We searched 3 online databases and a multitude of survey reports to conduct a narrative review of calcium epidemiology in Bangladesh, including population intake, determinants and consequences of deficiency, and tested interventions, with particular reference to young children and women of childbearing age. This was supplemented with secondary analysis of a national household survey in order to map the relative extent of calcium adequacy among different demographics. Intake of calcium is low in the general population of Bangladesh, with potentially serious and persistent effects on public health. These effects are especially pertinent to young children and reproductive-age women, by virtue of increased physiologic needs, disproportionately poor access to dietary calcium sources, and a confluence of other local determinants of calcium status in these groups. A tablet supplementation program for pregnant women is an appealing approach for the reduction in preeclampsia and preterm birth. Further research is warranted to address the comparative benefit of different promising approaches in children for the prevention of rickets. © The Author(s) 2016.

Bangladesh policy on prevention and control of non-communicable diseases: a policy analysis.

PubMed

Biswas, Tuhin; Pervin, Sonia; Tanim, Md Imtiaz Alam; Niessen, Louis; Islam, Anwar

2017-06-19

This paper is aimed at critically assessing the extent to which Non-Communicable Disease NCD-related policies introduced in Bangladesh align with the World Health Organization's (WHO) 2013-2020 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. The authors reviewed all relevant policy documents introduced by the Government of Bangladesh since its independence in 1971. The literature review targeted scientific and grey literature documents involving internet-based search, and expert consultation and snowballing to identify relevant policy documents. Information was extracted from the documents using a specific matrix, mapping each document against the six objectives of the WHO 2013-2020 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of NCDs. A total of 51 documents were identified. Seven (14%) were research and/or surveys, nine were on established policies (17%), while seventeen (33%) were on action programmes. Five (10%) were related to guidelines and thirteen (25%) were strategic planning documents from government and non-government agencies/institutes. The study covered documents produced by the Government of Bangladesh as well as those by quasi-government and non-government organizations irrespective of the extent to which the intended policies were implemented. The policy analysis findings suggest that although the government has initiated many NCD-related policies or programs, they lacked proper planning, implementation and monitoring. Consequently, Bangladesh over the years had little success in effectively addressing the growing burden of non-communicable diseases. It is imperative that future research critically assess the effectiveness of national NCD policies by monitoring their implementation and level of population coverage.

Arsenic incorporation into authigenic pyrite, Bengal Basin sediment, Bangladesh

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lowers, H.A.; Breit, G.N.; Foster, A.L.; Whitney, J.; Yount, J.; Uddin, Md. N.; Muneem, Ad. A.

2007-01-01

Sediment from two deep boreholes (???400 m) approximately 90 km apart in southern Bangladesh was analyzed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), total chemical analyses, chemical extractions, and electron probe microanalysis to establish the importance of authigenic pyrite as a sink for arsenic in the Bengal Basin. Authigenic framboidal and massive pyrite (median values 1500 and 3200 ppm As, respectively), is the principal arsenic residence in sediment from both boreholes. Although pyrite is dominant, ferric oxyhydroxides and secondary iron phases contain a large fraction of the sediment-bound arsenic between approximately 20 and 100 m, which is the depth range of wells containing the greatest amount of dissolved arsenic. The lack of pyrite in this interval is attributed to rapid sediment deposition and a low sulfur flux from riverine and atmospheric sources. The ability of deeper aquifers (>150 m) to produce ground water with low dissolved arsenic in southern Bangladesh reflects adequate sulfur supplies and sufficient time to redistribute the arsenic into pyrite during diagenesis.

Peptic Ulcer Disease in Bangladesh: A Multi-centre Study.

PubMed

Ghosh, C K; Khan, M R; Alam, F; Shil, B C; Kabir, M S; Mahmuduzzaman, M; Das, S C; Masud, H; Roy, P K

2017-01-01

The incidence of peptic ulcer has steadily declined through out the world. This decreasing trend is also noticeable in this subcontinent. The point prevalence of peptic ulcer (PUD) in Bangladesh was around 15% in eighties. The aim of this study was to see the present prevalence of peptic ulcer at endoscopy and to identify changing trends in the occurrence of peptic ulcer in Bangladesh. This retrospective analysis of the endoscopic records of multiple tertiary referral centres of Dhaka city were done from January 2012 to July 2013. A total of 5608 subjects were the study samples. We included those patients having peptic ulcer in the form of duodenal ulcer, benign gastric ulcer including pre-pyloric ulcer and gastric outlet obstruction due to peptic ulcer. Duodenal ulcer and benign gastric ulcer were found in 415(7.4%) and 184(3.28%) patients respectively and gastric outlet obstruction due to peptic ulcer was found in 23(0.40%) patients.

Rural-urban migration and child survival in urban Bangladesh: are the urban migrants and poor disadvantaged?

PubMed

Islam, M Mazharul; Azad, Kazi Md Abul Kalam

2008-01-01

This paper analyses the levels and trends of childhood mortality in urban Bangladesh, and examines whether children's survival chances are poorer among the urban migrants and urban poor. It also examines the determinants of child survival in urban Bangladesh. Data come from the 1999-2000 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. The results indicate that, although the indices of infant and child mortality are consistently better in urban areas, the urban-rural differentials in childhood mortality have diminished in recent years. The study identifies two distinct child morality regimes in urban Bangladesh: one for urban natives and one for rural-urban migrants. Under-five mortality is higher among children born to urban migrants compared with children born to life-long urban natives (102 and 62 per 1000 live births, respectively). The migrant-native mortality differentials more-or-less correspond with the differences in socioeconomic status. Like childhood mortality rates, rural-urban migrants seem to be moderately disadvantaged by economic status compared with their urban native counterparts. Within the urban areas, the child survival status is even worse among the migrant poor than among the average urban poor, especially recent migrants. This poor-non-poor differential in childhood mortality is higher in urban areas than in rural areas. The study findings indicate that rapid growth of the urban population in recent years due to rural-to-urban migration, coupled with higher risk of mortality among migrant's children, may be considered as one of the major explanations for slower decline in under-five mortality in urban Bangladesh, thus diminishing urban-rural differentials in childhood mortality in Bangladesh. The study demonstrates that housing conditions and access to safe drinking water and hygienic toilet facilities are the most critical determinants of child survival in urban areas, even after controlling for migration status. The findings of the study may

Area Handbook Series: Bangladesh, A Country Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-09-01

tions, and overutilization of critical resources, were seen as having exacerbated the 1988 flooding. Heavy runoff through the flat, over- populated...recovering from the 1987 floods. Although flood cotrol was seen by some observers as the responsibility of Bangladesh, regional cooperation in water...The manufacture of electronic com- ponents, started only in 1985 and designed for export to Singa- pore, Hong Kong, and the United States, was seen in

Postnatal care for newborns in Bangladesh: The importance of health–related factors and location

PubMed Central

Singh, Kavita; Brodish, Paul; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Biswas, Taposh Kumar; Kim, Eunsoo Timothy; Godwin, Christine; Moran, Allisyn

2017-01-01

Background Bangladesh achieved Millennium Development Goal 4, a two thirds reduction in under–five mortality from 1990 to 2015. However neonatal mortality remains high, and neonatal deaths now account for 62% of under–five deaths in Bangladesh. The objective of this paper is to understand which newborns in Bangladesh are receiving postnatal care (PNC), a set of interventions with the potential to reduce neonatal mortality. Methods Using data from the Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Survey (BMMS) 2010 we conducted logistic regression analysis to understand what socio–economic and health–related factors were associated with early postnatal care (PNC) by day 2 and PNC by day 7. Key variables studied were maternal complications (during pregnancy, delivery or after delivery) and contact with the health care system (receipt of any antenatal care, place of delivery and type of delivery attendant). Using data from the BMMS 2010 and an Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) 2012 needs assessment, we also presented descriptive maps of PNC coverage overlaid with neonatal mortality rates. Results There were several significant findings from the regression analysis. Newborns of mothers having a skilled delivery were significantly more likely to receive PNC (Day 7: OR = 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81, 2.58; Day 2: OR = 2.11, 95% 95% CI 1.76). Newborns of mothers who reported a complication were also significantly more likely to receive PNC with odds ratios varying between 1.3 and 1.6 for complications at the different points along the continuum of care. Urban residence and greater wealth were also significantly associated with PNC. The maps provided visual images of wide variation in PNC coverage and indicated that districts with the highest PNC coverage, did not necessarily have the lowest neonatal mortality rates. Conclusion Newborns of mothers who had a skilled delivery or who experienced a complication were more likely to receive PNC than

Postnatal care for newborns in Bangladesh: The importance of health-related factors and location.

PubMed

Singh, Kavita; Brodish, Paul; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Biswas, Taposh Kumar; Kim, Eunsoo Timothy; Godwin, Christine; Moran, Allisyn

2017-12-01

Bangladesh achieved Millennium Development Goal 4, a two thirds reduction in under-five mortality from 1990 to 2015. However neonatal mortality remains high, and neonatal deaths now account for 62% of under-five deaths in Bangladesh. The objective of this paper is to understand which newborns in Bangladesh are receiving postnatal care (PNC), a set of interventions with the potential to reduce neonatal mortality. Using data from the Bangladesh Maternal Mortality Survey (BMMS) 2010 we conducted logistic regression analysis to understand what socio-economic and health-related factors were associated with early postnatal care (PNC) by day 2 and PNC by day 7. Key variables studied were maternal complications (during pregnancy, delivery or after delivery) and contact with the health care system (receipt of any antenatal care, place of delivery and type of delivery attendant). Using data from the BMMS 2010 and an Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (EmONC) 2012 needs assessment, we also presented descriptive maps of PNC coverage overlaid with neonatal mortality rates. There were several significant findings from the regression analysis. Newborns of mothers having a skilled delivery were significantly more likely to receive PNC (Day 7: OR = 2.16, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.81, 2.58; Day 2: OR = 2.11, 95% 95% CI 1.76). Newborns of mothers who reported a complication were also significantly more likely to receive PNC with odds ratios varying between 1.3 and 1.6 for complications at the different points along the continuum of care. Urban residence and greater wealth were also significantly associated with PNC. The maps provided visual images of wide variation in PNC coverage and indicated that districts with the highest PNC coverage, did not necessarily have the lowest neonatal mortality rates. Newborns of mothers who had a skilled delivery or who experienced a complication were more likely to receive PNC than newborns of mothers with a home delivery or who did

The Journey towards Inclusive Education in Bangladesh: Lessons Learned

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahsan, M. Tariq; Mullick, Jahirul

2013-01-01

Several international declarations, signed over the last few decades, are helping to promote Education for All, by eliminating inequalities in both society and education systems. This article, a descriptive review of policy documents and reform initiatives, reports on ways the Government of Bangladesh has responded to these international…

Infant mortality in Bangladesh: a review of recent evidence.

PubMed

Ahmed, M F

1991-07-01

Estimates of child mortality are mainly based on reports by mothers on the survival status of their children. Infant mortality estimates from such data do not seem to have declined in recent years. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics sample registration infant mortality estimates appear to be suspiciously low.

Determinants of enrollment of informal sector workers in cooperative based health scheme in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ahmed, Sayem; Islam, Ziaul; Morton, Alec; Khan, Jahangir A. M.

2017-01-01

Background Providing access to affordable health care for the informal sector remains a considerable challenge for low income countries striving to make progress towards universal health coverage. The objective of the study is to identify the factors shaping the decision to enroll in a cooperative based health scheme for informal workers in Bangladesh and also help to identify the features of informal workers without health schemes and their likelihood of being insured. Methods Data were derived from a cross-sectional in-house survey within the catchment area of a cooperative based health scheme in Bangladesh during April–June 2014, covering a total of 784 households (458 members and 326 non-members). Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with cooperative based health scheme and explanatory variables. Findings This study found that a number of factors were significant determinants of health scheme participation including sex of household head, household composition, occupational category as well as involvement social financial safety net programs. Conclusion Findings from this study can be suggestive for policy-makers interested in scaling up health insurance for informal workers in Bangladesh. Shared funding from this large informal sector can generate new resources for healthcare, which is in line with the healthcare financing strategy of Bangladesh as well as the recommendation of the World Health Organization for developing social health insurance as part of the path to Universal Health Coverage. PMID:28750052

The effect of drinking water salinity on blood pressure in young adults of coastal Bangladesh.

PubMed

Talukder, Mohammad Radwanur Rahman; Rutherford, Shannon; Phung, Dung; Islam, Mohammad Zahirul; Chu, Cordia

2016-07-01

More than 35 million people in coastal Bangladesh are vulnerable to increasing freshwater salinization. This will continue to affect more people and to a greater extent as climate change projections are realised in this area in the future. However the evidence for health effects of consuming high salinity water is limited. This research examined the association between drinking water salinity and blood pressure in young adults in coastal Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study during May-June 2014 in a rural coastal sub-district of Bangladesh. Data on blood pressure (BP) and salinity of potable water sources was collected from 253 participants aged 19-25 years. A linear regression method was used to examine the association between water salinity exposure categories and systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) level. Sixty five percent of the study population were exposed to highly saline drinking water above the Bangladesh standard (600 mg/L and above). Multivariable linear regression analyses identified that compared to the low water salinity exposure category (<600 mg/L), those in the high water salinity category (>600 mg/L), had statistically significantly higher SBP (B 3.46, 95% CI 0.75, 6.17; p = 0.01) and DBP (B 2.77, 95% CI 0.31, 5.24; p = 0.03). Our research shows that elevated salinity in drinking water is associated with higher BP in young coastal populations. Blood pressure is an important risk factor of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Given the extent of salinization of freshwater in many low-lying countries including in Bangladesh, and the likely exacerbation related to climate change-induced sea level rise, implementation of preventative strategies through dietary interventions along with promotion of low saline drinking water must be a priority in these settings. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O139: Isolation from Cholera Patients and Asymptomatic Household Family Members in Bangladesh between 2013 and 2014.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Fahima; Mather, Alison E; Begum, Yasmin Ara; Asaduzzaman, Muhammad; Baby, Nabilah; Sharmin, Salma; Biswas, Rajib; Uddin, Muhammad Ikhtear; LaRocque, Regina C; Harris, Jason B; Calderwood, Stephen B; Ryan, Edward T; Clemens, John D; Thomson, Nicholas R; Qadri, Firdausi

2015-11-01

Cholera is endemic in Bangladesh, with outbreaks reported annually. Currently, the majority of epidemic cholera reported globally is El Tor biotype Vibrio cholerae isolates of the serogroup O1. However, in Bangladesh, outbreaks attributed to V. cholerae serogroup O139 isolates, which fall within the same phylogenetic lineage as the O1 serogroup isolates, were seen between 1992 and 1993 and in 2002 to 2005. Since then, V. cholerae serogroup O139 has only been sporadically isolated in Bangladesh and is now rarely isolated elsewhere. Here, we present case histories of four cholera patients infected with V. cholerae serogroup O139 in 2013 and 2014 in Bangladesh. We comprehensively typed these isolates using conventional approaches, as well as by whole genome sequencing. Phenotypic typing and PCR confirmed all four isolates belonging to the O139 serogroup. Whole genome sequencing revealed that three of the isolates were phylogenetically closely related to previously sequenced El Tor biotype, pandemic 7, toxigenic V. cholerae O139 isolates originating from Bangladesh and elsewhere. The fourth isolate was a non-toxigenic V. cholerae that, by conventional approaches, typed as O139 serogroup but was genetically divergent from previously sequenced pandemic 7 V. cholerae lineages belonging to the O139 or O1 serogroups. These results suggest that previously observed lineages of V. cholerae O139 persist in Bangladesh and can cause clinical disease and that a novel disease-causing non-toxigenic O139 isolate also occurs.

Awareness of Tobacco-Related Health Harms among Vulnerable Populations in Bangladesh: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey.

PubMed

Driezen, Pete; Abdullah, Abu S; Nargis, Nigar; Hussain, A K M Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T; Thompson, Mary E; Quah, Anne C K; Xu, Steve

2016-08-25

This study assessed the knowledge of the harmful effects of tobacco use among vulnerable populations in Bangladesh and whether vulnerability was associated with the presence of complete home smoking bans. Data came from Wave 3 (2011-2012) of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey, a nationally-representative survey of 3131 tobacco users and 2147 non-users. Socio-demographic measures of disadvantage were used as proxy measures of vulnerability, including sex, residential location, education and income. Outcome measures were awareness of the harmful effects of (a) cigarette smoking and (b) smokeless tobacco use and (c) whether respondents had complete smoking bans in their homes. Logistic regression was used to examine whether the adjusted prevalence of each outcome differed by socio-demographic proxies of vulnerability. Smaller percentages of women, the illiterate, urban slum residents and low-income Bangladeshis were aware of the health harms of tobacco. These vulnerable groups generally had lower odds of awareness compared to the least disadvantaged groups. Incomplete knowledge of tobacco's harms may prevent vulnerable groups from taking steps to protect their health. Development goals, such as increasing literacy rates and empowering women, can complement the goals of WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Cost of illness for outpatients attending public and private hospitals in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Pavel, Md Sadik; Chakrabarty, Sayan; Gow, Jeff

2016-10-10

A central aim of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is protection for all against the cost of illness. In a low income country like Bangladesh the cost burden of health care in tertiary facilities is likely to be significant for most citizens. This cost of an episode of illness is a relatively unexplored policy issue in Bangladesh. The objective of this study was to estimate an outpatient's total cost of illness as result of treatment in private and public hospitals in Sylhet, Bangladesh. The study used face to face interviews at three hospitals (one public and two private) to elicit cost data from presenting outpatients. Other socio-economic and demographic data was also collected. A sample of 252 outpatients were randomly selected and interviewed. The total cost of outpatients comprises direct medical costs, non-medical costs and the indirect costs of patients and caregivers. Indirect costs comprise travel and waiting times and income losses associated with treatment. The costs of illness are significant for many of Bangladesh citizens. The direct costs are relatively minor compared to the large indirect cost burden that illness places on households. These indirect costs are mainly the result of time off work and foregone wages. Private hospital patients have higher average direct costs than public hospital patients. However, average indirect costs are higher for public hospital patients than private hospital patients by a factor of almost two. Total costs of outpatients are higher in public hospitals compared to private hospitals regardless of patient's income, gender, age or illness. Overall, public hospital patients, who tend to be the poorest, bear a larger economic burden of illness and treatment than relatively wealthier private hospital patients. The large economic impacts of illness need a public policy response which at a minimum should include a national health insurance scheme as a matter of urgency.

Promotion of well-switching to mitigate the current arsenic crisis in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Van Geen, Alexander; Ahsan, Habibul; Horneman, Allan H.; Dhar, Ratan K.; Zheng, Yan; Hussain, Iftikhhar; Ahmed, Kazi Matin; Gelman, Andrew; Stute, Martin; Simpson, H. James; Wallace, Sean; Small, Christopher; Parvez, Faruque; Slavkovich, Vesna; Loiacono, Nancy J.; Becker, Marck; Cheng, Zhongqi; Momotaj, Hassina; Shahnewaz, Mohammad; Seddique, Ashraf Ali; Graziano, Joseph H.

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To survey tube wells and households in Araihazar upazila, Bangladesh, to set the stage for a long-term epidemiological study of the consequences of chronic arsenic exposure. METHODS: Water samples and household data were collected over a period of 4 months in 2000 from 4997 contiguous tube wells serving a population of 55000, the position of each well being determined to within +/- 30 m using Global Positioning System receivers. Arsenic concentrations were determined by graphite-furnace atomic-absorption spectrometry. In addition, groundwater samples collected every 2 weeks for an entire year from six tube wells were analysed for arsenic by high-resolution inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. FINDINGS: Half of the wells surveyed in Araihazar had been installed in the previous 5 years; 94% were privately owned. Only about 48% of the surveyed wells supplied water with an arsenic content below 50 micro g/l, the current Bangladesh standard for drinking-water. Similar to other regions of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, the distribution of arsenic in Araihazar is spatially highly variable (range: 5-860 micro g/l) and therefore difficult to predict. Because of this variability, however, close to 90% of the inhabitants live within 100 m of a safe well. Monitoring of six tube wells currently meeting the 50 micro g/l standard showed no indication of a seasonal cycle in arsenic concentrations coupled to the hydrological cycle. This suggests that well-switching is a viable option in Araihazar, at least for the short term. CONCLUSIONS: Well-switching should be more systematically encouraged in Araihazar and many other parts of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Social barriers to well-switching need to be better understood and, if possible, overcome. PMID:12378292

Thermal care of newborns: drying and bathing practices in Malawi and Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Khan, Shane M; Kim, Eunsoo Timothy; Singh, Kavita; Amouzou, Agbessi; Carvajal-Aguirre, Liliana

2018-01-01

Background Thermal care of newborns is one of the recommended strategies to reduce hypothermia, which contributes to neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, data on these two topics have not been collected at the national level in many surveys. In this study, we examine two elements of thermal care: drying and delayed bathing of newborns after birth with the objectives of examining how two countries collected such data and then looking at various associations of these outcomes with key characteristics. Further, we examine the data for potential data quality issues as this is one of the first times that such data are available at the national level. Methods We use data from two nationally-representative household surveys: the Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2014 and the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2014. We conduct descriptive analysis of the prevalence of these two newborn practices by various socio-demographic, economic and health indicators. Results Our results indicate high levels of immediate drying/drying within 1 hour in Malawi (87%). In Bangladesh, 84% were dried within the first 10 minutes of birth. Bathing practices varied in the two settings; in Malawi, only 26% were bathed after 24 hours but in Bangladesh, 87% were bathed after the same period. While in Bangladesh there were few newborns who were never bathed (less than 5%), in Malawi, over 10% were never bathed. Newborns delivered by a skilled provider tended to have better thermal care than those delivered by unskilled providers. Conclusion These findings reveal gaps in coverage of thermal care and indicate the need to further develop the role of unskilled providers who can give unspecialized care as a means to improve thermal care for newborns. Further work to harmonize data collection methods on these topics is needed to ensure comparable data across countries. PMID:29862028

Availability and Quality of Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Wichaidit, Wit; Alam, Mahbub-Ul; Halder, Amal K.; Unicomb, Leanne; Hamer, Davidson H.; Ram, Pavani K.

2016-01-01

Bangladesh's maternal mortality and neonatal mortality remain unacceptably high. We assessed the availability and quality of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) and emergency newborn care (EmNC) services at health facilities in Bangladesh. We randomly sampled 50 rural villages and 50 urban neighborhoods throughout Bangladesh and interviewed the director of eight and nine health facilities nearest to each sampled area. We categorized health facilities into different quality levels (high, moderate, low, and substandard) based on staffing, availability of a phone or ambulance, and signal functions (six categories for EmOC and four categories for EmNC). We interviewed the directors of 875 health facilities. Approximately 28% of health facilities did not have a skilled birth attendant on call 24 hours per day. The least commonly performed EmOC signal function was administration of anticonvulsants (67%). The quality of EmOC services was high in 33% and moderate in 52% of the health facilities. The least common EmNC signal function was kangaroo mother care (7%). The quality of EmNC was high in 2% and moderate in 33% of the health facilities. Approximately one-third of health facilities lack 24-hour availability of skilled birth attendants, increasing the risk of peripartum complications. Most health facilities offered moderate to high quality services for EmOC and low to substandard quality for EmNC. PMID:27273640

Context and the Gendered Status of Teachers: Women's Empowerment through Leadership of Non-Formal Schooling in Rural Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperandio, Jill

2011-01-01

Empowering women to control and change their lives continues to be an important goal for many nations. This article examines the empowering effects of being selected and trained to lead rural schools in Bangladesh, using survey and interview data from 152 village women working with the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee education programme.…

Factors influencing infant/child mortality in Bangladesh: implication for family planning programs and policies.

PubMed

Miah, M M

1993-01-01

"This study examined a host of socio-economic and demographic factors (including their interactions) that determine infant/child mortality of married women at the different parity levels in Bangladesh [using data from] a multivariate analysis of the 1975-76 Bangladesh Fertility Survey.... The major hypothesis of this research is that the higher the level of fertility of a married woman, the higher will be her experience of infant/child mortality. However, a woman's family planning practice may interact with fertility and affect the total infant/child deaths...." excerpt

Epidemiology of Fall Injury in Rural Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Alonge, Olakunle; Ul Baset, Md. Kamran; Chowdhury, Salim; Bhuiyan, Al-Amin; Hyder, Adnan A.

2017-01-01

Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, with 80% occurring in low-and middle-income countries. The overall objective of this study is to describe the burden and risk factors of falls in rural Bangladesh. In 2013, a large household survey covering a population of 1,169,593 was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh to assess the burden of all injuries, including falls. The recall periods for non-fatal and fatal injuries were six and 12 months, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. The rates of non-fatal and fatal falls were 36.3 per 1000 and 5 per 100,000 population, respectively. The rates of both fatal and non-fatal falls were highest among the elderly. The risk of non-fatal falls was higher at extremes of age. Lower limb and waist injuries were frequent following a fall. Head injuries were frequent among infants (35%), while lower limb and waist injuries were frequent among the elderly (>65 years old). Injuries to all body parts (except the waist) were most frequent among men. More than half of all non-fatal falls occurred in a home environment. The injury patterns and risk factors of non-fatal falls differ by sociodemographic factors. PMID:28796160

Epidemiology of Fall Injury in Rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Wadhwaniya, Shirin; Alonge, Olakunle; Ul Baset, Md Kamran; Chowdhury, Salim; Bhuiyan, Al-Amin; Hyder, Adnan A

2017-08-10

Globally, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths, with 80% occurring in low-and middle-income countries. The overall objective of this study is to describe the burden and risk factors of falls in rural Bangladesh. In 2013, a large household survey covering a population of 1,169,593 was conducted in seven rural sub-districts of Bangladesh to assess the burden of all injuries, including falls. The recall periods for non-fatal and fatal injuries were six and 12 months, respectively. Descriptive, bivariate and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. The rates of non-fatal and fatal falls were 36.3 per 1000 and 5 per 100,000 population, respectively. The rates of both fatal and non-fatal falls were highest among the elderly. The risk of non-fatal falls was higher at extremes of age. Lower limb and waist injuries were frequent following a fall. Head injuries were frequent among infants (35%), while lower limb and waist injuries were frequent among the elderly (>65 years old). Injuries to all body parts (except the waist) were most frequent among men. More than half of all non-fatal falls occurred in a home environment. The injury patterns and risk factors of non-fatal falls differ by sociodemographic factors.

Socio-economic determinants of mortality in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kabir, M; Howlader, A A

1980-01-01

Infant mortality in Bangladesh is 1 of the highest in Asian countries. There are several reasons why infant mortality is still high in Bangladesh. A large number of births occur prematurely, or there is poor handling by birth attendants leading to injury and infection. In addition, there is a gross shortage of maternity clinics, trained midwives, and other paramedical personnel in the country. The children are generally born in the most unhygienic of conditions. Malnutrition is a common factor. In recent years, the study of socioeconomic differentials of infant and child mortality has occupied an important position in demographic research. Given the limited data available to measure many variables which could have an effect on mortality as measured here by infant mortality, the analysis has been essentially confined to an analysis of differences in infant mortality by various socioeconomic characteristics. The factors and relative contributions of the combined effects of medical services, general socioeconomic and environmental factors need to be examined. Mortality can be seen in this context as a final consequence of the interactions between health, work, and income. Due to lack of data availability, very little work has been done on this. The World Fertility Survey has given a unique opportunity to researchers to explore this field more comprehensively.

Earthquake Occurrence in Bangladesh and Surrounding Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Hussaini, T. M.; Al-Noman, M.

2011-12-01

The collision of the northward moving Indian plate with the Eurasian plate is the cause of frequent earthquakes in the region comprising Bangladesh and neighbouring India, Nepal and Myanmar. Historical records indicate that Bangladesh has been affected by five major earthquakes of magnitude greater than 7.0 (Richter scale) during 1869 to 1930. This paper presents some statistical observations of earthquake occurrence in fulfilment of a basic groundwork for seismic hazard assessment of this region. An up to date catalogue covering earthquake information in the region bounded within 17°-30°N and 84°-97°E for the period of historical period to 2010 is derived from various reputed international sources including ISC, IRIS, Indian sources and available publications. Careful scrutiny is done to remove duplicate or uncertain earthquake events. Earthquake magnitudes in the range of 1.8 to 8.1 have been obtained and relationships between different magnitude scales have been studied. Aftershocks are removed from the catalogue using magnitude dependent space window and time window. The main shock data are then analyzed to obtain completeness period for different magnitudes evaluating their temporal homogeneity. Spatial and temporal distribution of earthquakes, magnitude-depth histograms and other statistical analysis are performed to understand the distribution of seismic activity in this region.

Anemia Status in Relation to Body Mass Index Among Women of Childbearing Age in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ghose, Bishwajit; Yaya, Sanni; Tang, Shangfeng

2016-10-01

Undernutrition and micronutrient deficiency disorders together constitute a major public health concern in Bangladesh. Among many vitamin and mineral deficiency diseases, iron-deficiency anemia remains the most persistent and has been shown to contribute to high maternal and child morbidity and mortality in the country. In parallel with micronutrient malnutrition, the country is also experiencing a rising epidemic of overweight and obesity due to changing pattern in dietary behavior and body mass index status. Previous empirical studies have demonstrated a strong correlation between body weight and anemia status. However, results remain inconclusive and for Bangladesh such evidence is nonexistent. To this end, we conducted this study using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011 data with an aim to explore the association between body mass index and anemia status among adult women in Bangladesh. According to the findings, age between 15 and 29 years ( P < .001, OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.12-1.49), experiencing first birth before reaching the age of 18 years ( P < .001, OR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.15-1.50), lack of access to potable water ( P = .013, OR = 1.467, 95%CI = 1.085- 1.982), being underweight ( P < .001, 95% CI = 1.208-1.570) and normal weight ( P < .001, 95% CI = 1.819-2.516) were significantly associated with anemia status.

Estimating the Burden of Maternal and Neonatal Deaths Associated With Jaundice in Bangladesh: Possible Role of Hepatitis E Infection

PubMed Central

Halder, Amal K.; Streatfield, Peter K.; Sazzad, Hossain M.S.; Nurul Huda, Tarique M.; Hossain, M. Jahangir; Luby, Stephen P.

2012-01-01

Objectives. We estimated the population-based incidence of maternal and neonatal mortality associated with hepatitis E virus (HEV) in Bangladesh. Methods. We analyzed verbal autopsy data from 4 population-based studies in Bangladesh to calculate the maternal and neonatal mortality ratios associated with jaundice during pregnancy. We then reviewed the published literature to estimate the proportion of maternal deaths associated with liver disease during pregnancy that were the result of HEV in hospitals. Results. We found that 19% to 25% of all maternal deaths and 7% to 13% of all neonatal deaths in Bangladesh were associated with jaundice in pregnant women. In the published literature, 58% of deaths in pregnant women with acute liver disease in hospitals were associated with HEV. Conclusions. Jaundice is frequently associated with maternal and neonatal deaths in Bangladesh, and the published literature suggests that HEV may cause many of these deaths. HEV is preventable, and studies to estimate the burden of HEV in endemic countries are urgently needed. PMID:23078501

Economic costs of hospitalized diarrheal disease in Bangladesh: a societal perspective.

PubMed

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ali, Nausad; Huda, Tanvir M; Salim Uzzaman, M; Haider, Sabbir; Rahman, Hafizur; Islam, Ziaul; Khan, Jahangir A M; Van Der Meer, Robert; Morton, Alec

2018-01-01

Diarrheal diseases are a major threat to human health and still represent a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although the burden of the diarrheal diseases is much lower in developed countries, it is a significant public health problem in low and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. Though diarrhea is preventable and managed with low-cost interventions, it is still the leading cause of morbidity according to the patient who sought care from public hospitals in Bangladesh indicating that significant resources are consumed in treating those patients. The aim of the study is to capture the inpatients and outpatient treatment cost of diarrheal disease and to measure the cost burden and coping mechanisms associated with diarrheal illness. This study was conducted in six randomly selected district hospitals from six divisions (larger administrative units) in Bangladesh. The study was performed from the societal perspective which means all types of costs were identified, measured and valued no matter who incurred them. Cost analysis was estimated using the guideline proposed by the World Health Organization for estimating the economic burden of diarrheal diseases. The study adopted quantitative techniques to collect the household and hospital level data including structured and semi-structured questionnaires, observation checklists, analysis of hospital database, telephone interviews and compilation of service statistics. The average total societal cost of illness per episode was BDT 5274.02 (US $ 67.18) whereas the average inpatient and outpatient costs were BDT 8675.09 (US $ 110.51) and BDT 1853.96 (US $ 23.62) respectively. The cost burden was significantly highest for poorest households, 21.45% of household income, compared to 4.21% of the richest quintile. Diarrheal diseases continue to be an overwhelming problem in Bangladesh. The economic impact of any public health interventions (either preventive or promotive) that can reduce the prevalence

Temperature extremes and infant mortality in Bangladesh: Hotter months, lower mortality.

PubMed

Babalola, Olufemi; Razzaque, Abdur; Bishai, David

2018-01-01

Our study aims to obtain estimates of the size effects of temperature extremes on infant mortality in Bangladesh using monthly time series data. Data on temperature, child and infant mortality were obtained for Matlab district of rural Bangladesh for January 1982 to December 2008 encompassing 49,426 infant deaths. To investigate the relationship between mortality and temperature, we adopted a regression with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) errors model of seasonally adjusted temperature and mortality data. The relationship between monthly mean and maximum temperature on infant mortality was tested at 0 and 1 month lags respectively. Furthermore, our analysis was stratified to determine if the results differed by gender (boys versus girls) and by age (neonates (≤ 30 days) versus post neonates (>30days and <153days)). Dickey Fuller tests were performed to test for stationarity, and since the time series were non-stationary, we conducted the regression analysis based on the first differences of mortality and temperature. Hotter months were associated with lower infant mortality in Bangladesh. Each degree Celsius increase in mean monthly temperature reduced monthly mortality by 3.672 (SE 1.544, p<0.05) points. A one degree increase in mean monthly temperature one month prior reduced mortality by 0.767 (SE 0.439, p<0.1) for boys and by -0.0764 (SE 0.366, NS) for girls. Beneficial effects of maximum monthly temperature were on the order of 0.623 to -0.712 and statistically significant for girls and boys respectively. Effect sizes of mean monthly temperature were larger for neonates at 1.126 (SE 0.499, p<0.05) than for post-neonates at 0.880 (SE 0.310, p<0.05) reductions in mortality per degree. There is no evidence that infant survival is adversely affected by monthly temperature extremes in Bangladesh. This may reflect a more heightened sensitivity of infants to hypothermia than hyperthermia in this environment.

Climate change and health in Bangladesh: a baseline cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Kabir, Md Iqbal; Rahman, Md Bayzidur; Smith, Wayne; Lusha, Mirza Afreen Fatima; Milton, Abul Hasnat

2016-01-01

Bangladesh is facing the unavoidable challenge of adaptation to climate change. However, very little is known in relation to climate change and health. This article provides information on potential climate change impact on health, magnitude of climate-sensitive diseases, and baseline scenarios of health systems to climate variability and change. A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling framework was conducted in 2012 among 6,720 households of 224 rural villages in seven vulnerable districts of Bangladesh. Information was obtained from head of the households using a pretested, interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. A total of 6,720 individuals participated in the study with written, informed consent. The majority of the respondents were from the low-income vulnerable group (60% farmers or day labourers) with an average of 30 years' stay in their locality. Most of them (96%) had faced extreme weather events, 45% of people had become homeless and displaced for a mean duration of 38 days in the past 10 years. Almost all of the respondents (97.8%) believe that health care expenditure increased after the extreme weather events. Mean annual total health care expenditure was 6,555 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) (1 USD=77 BDT in 2015) and exclusively out of pocket of the respondents. Incidence of dengue was 1.29 (95% CI 0.65-2.56) and malaria 13.86 (95% CI 6.00-32.01) per 1,000 adult population for 12 months preceding the data collection. Incidence of diarrhoea and pneumonia among under-five children of the households for the preceding month was 10.3% (95% CI 9.16-11.66) and 7.3% (95% CI 6.35-8.46), respectively. The findings of this survey indicate that climate change has a potential adverse impact on human health in Bangladesh. The magnitude of malaria, dengue, childhood diarrhoea, and pneumonia was high among the vulnerable communities. Community-based adaptation strategy for health could be beneficial to minimise climate change attributed health

Temperature extremes and infant mortality in Bangladesh: Hotter months, lower mortality

PubMed Central

Babalola, Olufemi; Razzaque, Abdur

2018-01-01

Background Our study aims to obtain estimates of the size effects of temperature extremes on infant mortality in Bangladesh using monthly time series data. Methods Data on temperature, child and infant mortality were obtained for Matlab district of rural Bangladesh for January 1982 to December 2008 encompassing 49,426 infant deaths. To investigate the relationship between mortality and temperature, we adopted a regression with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) errors model of seasonally adjusted temperature and mortality data. The relationship between monthly mean and maximum temperature on infant mortality was tested at 0 and 1 month lags respectively. Furthermore, our analysis was stratified to determine if the results differed by gender (boys versus girls) and by age (neonates (≤ 30 days) versus post neonates (>30days and <153days)). Dickey Fuller tests were performed to test for stationarity, and since the time series were non-stationary, we conducted the regression analysis based on the first differences of mortality and temperature. Results Hotter months were associated with lower infant mortality in Bangladesh. Each degree Celsius increase in mean monthly temperature reduced monthly mortality by 3.672 (SE 1.544, p<0.05) points. A one degree increase in mean monthly temperature one month prior reduced mortality by 0.767 (SE 0.439, p<0.1) for boys and by -0.0764 (SE 0.366, NS) for girls. Beneficial effects of maximum monthly temperature were on the order of 0.623 to -0.712 and statistically significant for girls and boys respectively. Effect sizes of mean monthly temperature were larger for neonates at 1.126 (SE 0.499, p<0.05) than for post-neonates at 0.880 (SE 0.310, p<0.05) reductions in mortality per degree. Conclusion There is no evidence that infant survival is adversely affected by monthly temperature extremes in Bangladesh. This may reflect a more heightened sensitivity of infants to hypothermia than hyperthermia in this environment

Climate change and health in Bangladesh: a baseline cross-sectional survey

PubMed Central

Kabir, Md Iqbal; Rahman, Md Bayzidur; Smith, Wayne; Lusha, Mirza Afreen Fatima; Milton, Abul Hasnat

2016-01-01

Background Bangladesh is facing the unavoidable challenge of adaptation to climate change. However, very little is known in relation to climate change and health. This article provides information on potential climate change impact on health, magnitude of climate-sensitive diseases, and baseline scenarios of health systems to climate variability and change. Design A cross-sectional study using multistage cluster sampling framework was conducted in 2012 among 6,720 households of 224 rural villages in seven vulnerable districts of Bangladesh. Information was obtained from head of the households using a pretested, interviewer-administered, structured questionnaire. A total of 6,720 individuals participated in the study with written, informed consent. Results The majority of the respondents were from the low-income vulnerable group (60% farmers or day labourers) with an average of 30 years’ stay in their locality. Most of them (96%) had faced extreme weather events, 45% of people had become homeless and displaced for a mean duration of 38 days in the past 10 years. Almost all of the respondents (97.8%) believe that health care expenditure increased after the extreme weather events. Mean annual total health care expenditure was 6,555 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) (1 USD=77 BDT in 2015) and exclusively out of pocket of the respondents. Incidence of dengue was 1.29 (95% CI 0.65–2.56) and malaria 13.86 (95% CI 6.00–32.01) per 1,000 adult population for 12 months preceding the data collection. Incidence of diarrhoea and pneumonia among under-five children of the households for the preceding month was 10.3% (95% CI 9.16–11.66) and 7.3% (95% CI 6.35–8.46), respectively. Conclusions The findings of this survey indicate that climate change has a potential adverse impact on human health in Bangladesh. The magnitude of malaria, dengue, childhood diarrhoea, and pneumonia was high among the vulnerable communities. Community-based adaptation strategy for health could be

Ecological Determinants of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (H5N1) Outbreaks in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Ahmed, Syed S. U.; Ersbøll, Annette K.; Biswas, Paritosh K.; Christensen, Jens P.; Hannan, Abu S. M. A.; Toft, Nils

2012-01-01

Background The agro-ecology and poultry husbandry of the south Asian and south-east Asian countries share common features, however, with noticeable differences. Hence, the ecological determinants associated with risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI-H5N1) outbreaks are expected to differ between Bangladesh and e.g., Thailand and Vietnam. The primary aim of the current study was to establish ecological determinants associated with the risk of HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks at subdistrict level in Bangladesh. The secondary aim was to explore the performance of two different statistical modeling approaches for unmeasured spatially correlated variation. Methodology/Principal Findings An ecological study at subdistrict level in Bangladesh was performed with 138 subdistricts with HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks during 2007–2008, and 326 subdistricts with no outbreaks. The association between ecological determinants and HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks was examined using a generalized linear mixed model. Spatial clustering of the ecological data was modeled using 1) an intrinsic conditional autoregressive (ICAR) model at subdistrict level considering their first order neighbors, and 2) a multilevel (ML) model with subdistricts nested within districts. Ecological determinants significantly associated with risk of HPAI-H5N1 outbreaks at subdistrict level were migratory birds' staging areas, river network, household density, literacy rate, poultry density, live bird markets, and highway network. Predictive risk maps were derived based on the resulting models. The resulting models indicate that the ML model absorbed some of the covariate effect of the ICAR model because of the neighbor structure implied in the two different models. Conclusions/Significance The study identified a new set of ecological determinants related to river networks, migratory birds' staging areas and literacy rate in addition to already known risk factors, and clarified that the generalized concept of free grazing duck and

Bans of WHO Class I Pesticides in Bangladesh-suicide prevention without hampering agricultural output.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Fazle Rabbi; Dewan, Gourab; Verma, Vasundhara R; Knipe, Duleeka W; Isha, Ishrat Tahsin; Faiz, M Abul; Gunnell, David J; Eddleston, Michael

2018-02-01

Pesticide self-poisoning is a major problem in Bangladesh. Over the past 20-years, the Bangladesh government has introduced pesticide legislation and banned highly hazardous pesticides (HHPs) from agricultural use. We aimed to assess the impacts of pesticide bans on suicide and on agricultural production. We obtained data on unnatural deaths from the Statistics Division of Bangladesh Police, and used negative binomial regression to quantify changes in pesticide suicides and unnatural deaths following removal of WHO Class I toxicity HHPs from agriculture in 2000. We assessed contemporaneous trends in other risk factors, pesticide usage and agricultural production in Bangladesh from 1996 to 2014. Mortality in hospital from pesticide poisoning fell after the 2000 ban: 15.1% vs 9.5%, relative reduction 37.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 35.4 to 38.8%]. The pesticide poisoning suicide rate fell from 6.3/100 000 in 1996 to 2.2/100 000 in 2014, a 65.1% (52.0 to 76.7%) decline. There was a modest simultaneous increase in hanging suicides [20.0% (8.4 to 36.9%) increase] but the overall incidence of unnatural deaths fell from 14.0/100 000 to 10.5/100 000 [25.0% (18.1 to 33.0%) decline]. There were 35 071 (95% CI 25 959 to 45 666) fewer pesticide suicides in 2001 to 2014 compared with the number predicted based on trends between 1996 to 2000. This reduction in rate of pesticide suicides occurred despite increased pesticide use and no change in admissions for pesticide poisoning, with no apparent influence on agricultural output. Strengthening pesticide regulation and banning WHO Class I toxicity HHPs in Bangladesh were associated with major reductions in deaths and hospital mortality, without any apparent effect on agricultural output. Our data indicate that removing HHPs from agriculture can rapidly reduce suicides without imposing substantial agricultural costs. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International

Reduction in malaria prevalence and increase in malaria awareness in endemic districts of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Alam, Mohammad Shafiul; Kabir, Mohammad Moktadir; Hossain, Mohammad Sharif; Naher, Shamsun; Ferdous, Nur E Naznin; Khan, Wasif Ali; Mondal, Dinesh; Karim, Jahirul; Shamsuzzaman, A K M; Ahmed, Be-Nazir; Islam, Akramul; Haque, Rashidul

2016-11-11

Malaria is endemic in 13 districts of Bangladesh. A baseline malaria prevalence survey across the endemic districts of Bangladesh was conducted in 2007, when the prevalence was reported around 39.7 per 1000 population. After two rounds of Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM)-funded intervention by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and a BRAC-led NGO consortium, a follow-up survey was conducted across the malaria-endemic districts of Bangladesh to measure the change in prevalence rate and in people's knowledge of malaria. The survey was carried out from August to November 2013 in 70 upazilas (sub-districts) of 13 malaria-endemic districts of Bangladesh, following the same multi-stage cluster sampling design and the same number of households enrolled during the baseline prevalence survey in 2007, to collect 9750 randomly selected blood samples. For on-the-spot diagnosis of malaria, a rapid diagnostic test was used. The household head or eldest person available was interviewed using a pre-coded structured questionnaire to collect data on the knowledge and awareness of malaria in the household. Based on a weighted calculation, the overall malaria prevalence was found to be 1.41 per 1000 population. The proportion of Plasmodium falciparum mono-infection was 77.78% while both Plasmodium vivax mono-infection and mixed infection of the two species were found to be 11.11%. Bandarban had the highest prevalence (6.67 per 1000 population). Knowledge of malaria signs, symptoms and mode of transmission were higher in the follow-up survey (97.26%) than the baseline survey. Use of bed nets for prevention of malaria was found to be high (90.15%) at respondent level. People's knowledge of selected parameters increased significantly during the follow-up survey compared to the baseline survey conducted in 2007. A reduced prevalence rate of malaria and increased level of knowledge were observed in the present malaria prevalence survey in Bangladesh.

Prospect for Cell Phones as Instructional Tools in the EFL Classroom: A Case Study of Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Begum, Roksana

2011-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the potentiality of cell phone use in the EFL classroom of Bangladesh as an instructional tool. The researcher conducted a case study on Jahangirnagar University of Bangladesh. For the study, some SMS based class tests were conducted in the English Department of the university where one hundred…

Socio-Economic Inequality of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Biswas, Tuhin; Islam, Md Saimul; Linton, Natalie; Rawal, Lal B

2016-01-01

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health challenge, and undermine social and economic development in much of the developing world, including Bangladesh. Epidemiologic evidence on the socioeconomic status (SES)-related pattern of NCDs remains limited in Bangladesh. This study assessed the relationship between three chronic NCDs and SES among the Bangladeshi population, paying particular attention to the differences between urban and rural areas. Data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were used for this study. Using a concentration index (CI), we measured relative inequality across pre-diabetes, diabetes, pre-hypertension, hypertension, and BMI (underweight, normal weight, and overweight/obese) in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. A CI and its associated curve can be used to identify whether socioeconomic inequality exists for a given health variable. In addition, we estimated the health achievement index, integrating mean coverage and the distribution of coverage by rural and urban populations. Socioeconomic inequalities were observed across diseases and risk factors. Using CI, significant inequalities observed for pre-hypertension (CI = 0.09, p = 0.001), hypertension (CI = 0.10, p = 0.001), pre-diabetes (CI = -0.01, p = 0.005), diabetes (CI = 0.19, p<0.001), and overweight/obesity (CI = 0.45, p<0.001). In contrast to the high prevalence of the chronic health conditions among the urban richest, a significant difference in CI was observed for pre-hypertension (CI = -0.20, p = 0.001), hypertension (CI = -0.20, p = 0.005), pre-diabetes (CI = -0.15, p = 0.005), diabetes (CI = -0.26, p = 0.004) and overweight/obesity (CI = 0.25, p = 0.004) were observed more among the low wealth quintiles of rural population. In the same vein, the poorest rural households had more co-morbidities compared to the richest rural households (p = 0.003), and prevalence of co-morbidities was much higher for the richest urban households compared

Zonal management of arsenic contaminated ground water in Northwestern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hill, Jason; Hossain, Faisal; Bagtzoglou, Amvrossios C

2009-09-01

This paper used ordinary kriging to spatially map arsenic contamination in shallow aquifers of Northwestern Bangladesh (total area approximately 35,000 km(2)). The Northwestern region was selected because it represents a relatively safer source of large-scale and affordable water supply for the rest of Bangladesh currently faced with extensive arsenic contamination in drinking water (such as the Southern regions). Hence, the work appropriately explored sustainability issues by building upon a previously published study (Hossain et al., 2007; Water Resources Management, vol. 21: 1245-1261) where a more general nation-wide assessment afforded by kriging was identified. The arsenic database for reference comprised the nation-wide survey (of 3534 drinking wells) completed in 1999 by the British Geological Survey (BGS) in collaboration with the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) of Bangladesh. Randomly sampled networks of zones from this reference database were used to develop an empirical variogram and develop maps of zonal arsenic concentration for the Northwestern region. The remaining non-sampled zones from the reference database were used to assess the accuracy of the kriged maps. Two additional criteria were explored: (1) the ability of geostatistical interpolators such as kriging to extrapolate information on spatial structure of arsenic contamination beyond small-scale exploratory domains; (2) the impact of a priori knowledge of anisotropic variability on the effectiveness of geostatistically based management. On the average, the kriging method was found to have a 90% probability of successful prediction of safe zones according to the WHO safe limit of 10ppb while for the Bangladesh safe limit of 50ppb, the safe zone prediction probability was 97%. Compared to the previous study by Hossain et al. (2007) over the rest of the contaminated country side, the probability of successful detection of safe zones in the Northwest is observed to be about 25

Genesis of avian influenza H9N2 in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shanmuganatham, Karthik; Feeroz, Mohammed M; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Walker, David; Alam, SMRabiul; Hasan, MKamrul; McKenzie, Pamela; Krauss, Scott; Webby, Richard J; Webster, Robert G

2014-12-01

Avian influenza subtype H9N2 is endemic in many bird species in Asia and the Middle East and has contributed to the genesis of H5N1, H7N9 and H10N8, which are potential pandemic threats. H9N2 viruses that have spread to Bangladesh have acquired multiple gene segments from highly pathogenic (HP) H7N3 viruses that are presumably in Pakistan and currently cocirculate with HP H5N1. However, the source and geographic origin of these H9N2 viruses are not clear. We characterized the complete genetic sequences of 37 Bangladeshi H9N2 viruses isolated in 2011-2013 and investigated their inter- and intrasubtypic genetic diversities by tracing their genesis in relationship to other H9N2 viruses isolated from neighboring countries. H9N2 viruses in Bangladesh are homogenous with several mammalian host-specific markers and are a new H9N2 sublineage wherein the hemagglutinin (HA) gene is derived from an Iranian H9N2 lineage (Mideast_B Iran), the neuraminidase (NA) and polymerase basic 2 (PB2) genes are from Dubai H9N2 (Mideast_C Dubai), and the non-structural protein (NS), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein (MP), polymerase acidic (PA) and polymerase basic 1 (PB1) genes are from HP H7N3 originating from Pakistan. Different H9N2 genotypes that were replaced in 2006 and 2009 by other reassortants have been detected in Bangladesh. Phylogenetic and molecular analyses suggest that the current genotype descended from the prototypical H9N2 lineage (G1), which circulated in poultry in China during the late 1990s and came to Bangladesh via the poultry trade within the Middle East, and that this genotype subsequently reassorted with H7N3 and H9N2 lineages from Pakistan and spread throughout India. Thus, continual surveillance of Bangladeshi HP H5N1, H7N3 and H9N2 is warranted to identify further evolution and adaptation to humans.

Genesis of avian influenza H9N2 in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Shanmuganatham, Karthik; Feeroz, Mohammed M; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Walker, David; Alam, SMRabiul; Hasan, MKamrul; McKenzie, Pamela; Krauss, Scott; Webby, Richard J; Webster, Robert G

2014-01-01

Avian influenza subtype H9N2 is endemic in many bird species in Asia and the Middle East and has contributed to the genesis of H5N1, H7N9 and H10N8, which are potential pandemic threats. H9N2 viruses that have spread to Bangladesh have acquired multiple gene segments from highly pathogenic (HP) H7N3 viruses that are presumably in Pakistan and currently cocirculate with HP H5N1. However, the source and geographic origin of these H9N2 viruses are not clear. We characterized the complete genetic sequences of 37 Bangladeshi H9N2 viruses isolated in 2011–2013 and investigated their inter- and intrasubtypic genetic diversities by tracing their genesis in relationship to other H9N2 viruses isolated from neighboring countries. H9N2 viruses in Bangladesh are homogenous with several mammalian host-specific markers and are a new H9N2 sublineage wherein the hemagglutinin (HA) gene is derived from an Iranian H9N2 lineage (Mideast_B Iran), the neuraminidase (NA) and polymerase basic 2 (PB2) genes are from Dubai H9N2 (Mideast_C Dubai), and the non-structural protein (NS), nucleoprotein (NP), matrix protein (MP), polymerase acidic (PA) and polymerase basic 1 (PB1) genes are from HP H7N3 originating from Pakistan. Different H9N2 genotypes that were replaced in 2006 and 2009 by other reassortants have been detected in Bangladesh. Phylogenetic and molecular analyses suggest that the current genotype descended from the prototypical H9N2 lineage (G1), which circulated in poultry in China during the late 1990s and came to Bangladesh via the poultry trade within the Middle East, and that this genotype subsequently reassorted with H7N3 and H9N2 lineages from Pakistan and spread throughout India. Thus, continual surveillance of Bangladeshi HP H5N1, H7N3 and H9N2 is warranted to identify further evolution and adaptation to humans. PMID:26038507

Socio-economic risk factors for early childhood underweight in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Tuhinur Rahman; Chakrabarty, Sayan; Rakib, Muntaha; Saltmarsh, Sue; Davis, Kendrick A

2018-05-30

Underweight is a major cause of global disease burden. It is associated with child mortality and morbidity, and its adverse impact on human performance and child survival is well recognized. Underweight is a major public health problem in Bangladesh, which is amongst the highest underweight prevalent countries in the world. The objectives of our study were to determine the national and regional prevalence rates of underweight and severe underweight in Bangladesh, and to investigate the association of socioeconomic and demographic factors with child underweight and severely underweight among children under the age of five living in Bangladesh. We performed a cross sectional study using Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey 2012-13, Bangladesh data on 17,133 children under 5 years of age. Weight-for-age Z scores based upon World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were used to define child underweight and severe underweight. The association of underweight and severe underweight with household socioeconomic factors and demographic characteristics was investigated using binary logistic regression model. An estimated 31.67% children were underweight and 8.81% children were severely underweight. Children of mothers with incomplete secondary education [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.75, 0.94] and mothers with completed secondary education [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.93] were less likely to be underweight than children of uneducated mothers who had no formal schooling. A similar association exists for father's education, children from households in the highest wealth index quintile had lower likelihood of underweight [Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.37, 0.53] than children from households in the lowest quintile. Consumption of non-iodized salt had higher risk of severe underweight for children aged between 24 and 35 months [Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.80, 3.00]. Other risk factors of child severe underweight included living in Sylhet

Plasmids in Vibrio parahemolyticus strains isolated in Japan and Bangladesh with special reference to different distributions.

PubMed

Arai, T; Ando, T; Kusakabe, A; Ullah, M A

1983-01-01

We surveyed plasmids in naturally occurring Vibrio parahemolyticus strains isolated in Japan and Bangladesh. Among the strains isolated in Japan, about half of the strains isolated from stools of patients of domestic diarrhea outbreaks as well as of travelers returning from East Asia were found to have plasmids, but no strains from foods had plasmids. In contrast, among the strains isolated in Bangladesh, none of the four strains isolated from patients had plasmids, but two out of eight strains isolated from water had plasmids, suggesting that plasmids are common in strains from the water in Bangladesh. All plasmids so far reported in V. parahemolyticus were detected in strains isolated from stools of patients. Incidences of plasmids in this organism were not so high in either area. In Japan, all plasmids were detected in strains from human intestines at 37 C, but in Bangladesh, where the temperature is around 30-40 C, the plasmids were detected in strains from the natural environment. These results suggested the possibility that these plasmids can come from different bacteria under rather high temperatures and that incidences of plasmids are influenced by the incidences of plasmids in bacteria present in the vicinity of V. parahemolyticus strains. None of these plasmids were found to have any relation to the biological characters tested.

Using remote sensing satellite data and artificial neural network for prediction of potato yield in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhand, Kawsar; Nizamuddin, Mohammad; Roytman, Leonid; Kogan, Felix

2016-09-01

Potato is one of the staple foods and cash crops in Bangladesh. It is widely cultivated in all of the districts and ranks second after rice in production. Bangladesh is the fourth largest potato producer in Asia and is among the world's top 15 potato producing countries. The weather condition for potato cultivation is favorable during the sowing, growing and harvesting period. It is a winter crop and is cultivated during the period of November to March. Bangladesh is mainly an agricultural based country with respect to agriculture's contribution to GDP, employment and consumption. Potato is a prominent crop in consideration of production, its internal demand and economic value. Bangladesh has a big economic activities related to potato cultivation and marketing, especially the economic relations among farmers, traders, stockers and cold storage owners. Potato yield prediction before harvest is an important issue for the Government and the stakeholders in managing and controlling the potato market. Advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) based satellite data product vegetation health indices VCI (vegetation condition index) and TCI (temperature condition index) are used as predictors for early prediction. Artificial neural network (ANN) is used to develop a prediction model. The simulated result from this model is encouraging and the error of prediction is less than 10%.

Induced intensification: agricultural change in Bangladesh with implications for Malthus and Boserup.

PubMed

Turner, B L; Ali, A M

1996-12-10

Bangladesh is dominated by a small-holder agrarian economy under extreme stress. Production shortfalls, increasing economic polarization, and chronic malnutrition are persistent, but major famine has been diverted in part by significant growth in agriculture. This recent history is open to both Malthusian and Boserupian interpretations-a history we explore here through a test of the induced intensification thesis of agricultural change. This thesis, framed by variations in the behavior of small-holders, has grown from a simple demand-production relationship to a consideration of the mediating influences on that relationship. The induced intensification thesis is reviewed and tested for 265 households in 6 villages in Bangladesh from 1950-1986. A time-series analysis of an induced intensification model provides relatively high levels of explained variance in cropping intensity (frequency and land productivity) and also indicates the relative impacts of household class, environment, and cropping strategies. On average, the small-holders in question kept pace with the demands on production, although important class and village variations were evident and the proportion of landless households increased. These results, coupled with evidence that agricultural growth involved intensification thresholds, provide clues about Malthusian and Boserupian interpretations of Bangladesh, and suggest that small-holder agriculture there is likely to continue on a "muted" path of growth.

'Lived Islam' in India and Bangladesh: negotiating religion to realise reproductive aspirations.

PubMed

Sahu, Biswamitra; Hutter, Inge

2012-01-01

This paper seeks to answer the question of how Muslim women interpret and negotiate religion in order to realise their reproductive aspirations. A close reading of lived experiences of 32 Muslim women from a varied educational background yields a wider perspective of the different interpretations of reproductive norms employed by adherents of the same religion (Islam), situated in two countries (India/Bangladesh) and group (majority/minority) contexts. Further, this comparative study yields a deeper understanding of agency that is employed by Muslim participants in each country. Muslim women - both in India and Bangladesh - are not passive followers of religious norms, but have agency to bring change in their own life and take an active role in planning their family, thereby transgressing religious norms in reproductive matters. Muslim women in India exercise their agency by adopting sterilisation - a method proscribed by Islam - without the knowledge of their significant others. Muslim women in Bangladesh use their agency by making a flexible interpretation of Islam in reproductive matters. A lesson learned from this comparative study is the need to remove barriers that prevent the adoption of contraceptives by Muslim minorities in India and to design family planning programmes that takes into account their religious needs.

The Development of a National Agricultural Extension Policy in Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, M.; Sarkar, A. A.

1996-01-01

The background of agriculture in Bangladesh and the process of developing a national agricultural extension policy focused on sustainable development are described. The policy explicates the meaning of agricultural extension, use of agricultural knowledge and information systems, and 11 core principles. (SK)

Inequality of the use of skilled birth assistance among rural women in Bangladesh: facts and factors.

PubMed

Kamal, S M Mostafa; Hassan, Che Hashim; Kabir, M A

2015-03-01

This study examines the inequality of the use of skilled delivery assistance by the rural women of Bangladesh using the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data. Simple cross-tabulation and univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were employed in the study. Overall, 56.1% of the women received at least one antenatal care visit, whereas only 13.2% births were assisted by skilled personnel. Findings revealed apparent inequality in using skilled delivery assistance by socioeconomic strata. Birth order, women's education, religion, wealth index, region and antenatal care are important determinants of seeking skilled assistance. To ensure safe motherhood initiative, government should pay special attention to reduce inequality in seeking skilled delivery assistance. A strong focus on community-based and regional interventions is important in order to increase the utilization of safe maternal health care services in rural Bangladesh. © 2013 APJPH.

Postpartum haemorrhage and eclampsia: differences in knowledge and care-seeking behaviour in two districts of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kalim, Nahid; Anwar, Iqbal; Khan, Jasmin; Blum, Lauren S; Moran, Allisyn C; Botlero, Roslin; Koblinsky, Marge

2009-04-01

In high- and low-performing districts of Bangladesh, the study explored the demand-side of maternal healthcare by looking at differences in perceived knowledge and care-seeking behaviours of women in relation to postpartum haemorrhage or eclampsia. Haemorrhage and eclampsia are two major causes of maternal mortality in Bangladesh. The study was conducted during July 2006-December 2007. Both postpartum bleeding and eclampsia were recognized by women of different age-groups as severe and life-threatening obstetric complications. However, a gap existed between perception and actual care-seeking behaviours which could contribute to the high rate of maternal deaths associated with these conditions. There were differences in care-seeking practices among women in the two different areas of Bangladesh, which may reflect sociocultural differences, disparities in economic and educational opportunities, and a discrimination in the availability of care.

Chronic arsenic toxicity in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India--a review and commentary.

PubMed

Rahman, M M; Chowdhury, U K; Mukherjee, S C; Mondal, B K; Paul, K; Lodh, D; Biswas, B K; Chanda, C R; Basu, G K; Saha, K C; Roy, S; Das, R; Palit, S K; Quamruzzaman, Q; Chakraborti, D

2001-01-01

Fifty districts of Bangladesh and 9 districts in West Bengal, India have arsenic levels in groundwater above the World Health Organization's maximum permissible limit of 50 microg/L. The area and population of 50 districts of Bangladesh and 9 districts in West Bengal are 118,849 km2 and 104.9 million and 38,865 km2 and 42.7 million, respectively. Our current data show arsenic levels above 50 microg/ L in 2000 villages, 178 police stations of 50 affected districts in Bangladesh and 2600 villages, 74 police stations/blocks of 9 affected districts in West Bengal. We have so far analyzed 34,000 and 101,934 hand tube-well water samples from Bangladesh and West Bengal respectively by FI-HG-AAS of which 56% and 52%, respectively, contained arsenic above 10 microg/L and 37% and 25% arsenic above 50 microg/L. In our preliminary study 18,000 persons in Bangladesh and 86,000 persons in West Bengal were clinically examined in arsenic-affected districts. Of them, 3695 (20.6% including 6.11% children) in Bangladesh and 8500 (9.8% including 1.7% children) in West Bengal had arsenical dermatological features. Symptoms of chronic arsenic toxicity developed insidiously after 6 months to 2 years or more of exposure. The time of onset depends on the concentration of arsenic in the drinking water, volume of intake, and the health and nutritional status of individuals. Major dermatological signs are diffuse or spotted melanosis, leucomelanosis, and keratosis. Chronic arsenicosis is a multisystem disorder. Apart from generalized weakness, appetite and weight loss, and anemia, our patients had symptoms relating to involvement of the lungs, gastrointestinal system, liver, spleen, genitourinary system, hemopoietic system, eyes, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. We found evidence of arsenic neuropathy in 37.3% (154 of 413 cases) in one group and 86.8% (33 of 38 cases) in another. Most of these cases had mild and predominantly sensory neuropathy. Central nervous system involvement

Targeting Low-arsenic Groundwater with Mobile-phone Technology in Araihazar, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Trevisani, M.; Immel, J.; Jakariya, Md.; Osman, N.; Cheng, Z.; Gelman, A.; Ahmed, K.M.

2006-01-01

The Bangladesh Arsenic Mitigation and Water Supply Program (BAMWSP) has compiled field-kit measurements of the arsenic content of groundwater for nearly five million wells. By comparing the spatial distribution of arsenic inferred from these field-kit measurements with geo-referenced laboratory data in a portion of Araihazar upazila, it is shown here that the BAMWSP data could be used for targeting safe aquifers for the installation of community wells in many villages of Bangladesh. Recent experiences with mobile-phone technology to access and update the BAMWSP data in the field are also described. It is shown that the technology, without guaranteeing success, could optimize interventions by guiding the choice of the drilling method that is likely to reach a safe aquifer and identifying those villages where exploratory drilling is needed. PMID:17366770

Income inequality, poverty and socioeconomic development in Bangladesh: an empirical investigation.

PubMed

Islam, I; Khan, H

1986-06-01

By analyzing the data for 1963-1964 through 1976-1977, this paper studies the pattern of income distribution and poverty in Bangladesh, and it also compares the socioeconomic status of the country in the mid-1970s with other developing countries of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. There has been a drastic increase in inequality and poverty in recent years, and this disturbing finding is reinforced by the fact that Bangladesh occupies the lowest position in the Third World in terms of a composite social index. The very poor within the poverty population suffered most, and the increase in the extent of poverty was most noticeable in the rural sector. The broad policy recommendation is that relatively more attention should be given to the social sectors white allocating resources for the country's future development.

Agricultural livelihoods in coastal Bangladesh under climate and environmental change--a model framework.

PubMed

Lázár, Attila N; Clarke, Derek; Adams, Helen; Akanda, Abdur Razzaque; Szabo, Sylvia; Nicholls, Robert J; Matthews, Zoe; Begum, Dilruba; Saleh, Abul Fazal M; Abedin, Md Anwarul; Payo, Andres; Streatfield, Peter Kim; Hutton, Craig; Mondal, M Shahjahan; Moslehuddin, Abu Zofar Md

2015-06-01

Coastal Bangladesh experiences significant poverty and hazards today and is highly vulnerable to climate and environmental change over the coming decades. Coastal stakeholders are demanding information to assist in the decision making processes, including simulation models to explore how different interventions, under different plausible future socio-economic and environmental scenarios, could alleviate environmental risks and promote development. Many existing simulation models neglect the complex interdependencies between the socio-economic and environmental system of coastal Bangladesh. Here an integrated approach has been proposed to develop a simulation model to support agriculture and poverty-based analysis and decision-making in coastal Bangladesh. In particular, we show how a simulation model of farmer's livelihoods at the household level can be achieved. An extended version of the FAO's CROPWAT agriculture model has been integrated with a downscaled regional demography model to simulate net agriculture profit. This is used together with a household income-expenses balance and a loans logical tree to simulate the evolution of food security indicators and poverty levels. Modelling identifies salinity and temperature stress as limiting factors to crop productivity and fertilisation due to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations as a reinforcing factor. The crop simulation results compare well with expected outcomes but also reveal some unexpected behaviours. For example, under current model assumptions, temperature is more important than salinity for crop production. The agriculture-based livelihood and poverty simulations highlight the critical significance of debt through informal and formal loans set at such levels as to persistently undermine the well-being of agriculture-dependent households. Simulations also indicate that progressive approaches to agriculture (i.e. diversification) might not provide the clear economic benefit from the perspective of

Factors predicting quality of work life among nurses in tertiary-level hospitals, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Akter, N; Akkadechanunt, T; Chontawan, R; Klunklin, A

2018-06-01

This study examined the level of quality of work life and predictability of years of education, monthly income, years of experience, job stress, organizational commitment and work environment on quality of work life among nurses in tertiary-level hospitals in the People's Republic of Bangladesh. There is an acute shortage of nurses worldwide including Bangladesh. Quality of work life is important for quality of patient care and nurse retention. Nurses in Bangladesh are fighting to provide quality care for emerging health problems for the achievement of sustainable development goals. We collected data from 288 randomly selected registered nurses, from six tertiary-level hospitals. All nurses were requested to fill questionnaire consisted of Demographic Data Sheet, Quality of Nursing Work Life Survey, Expanded Nursing Stress Scale, Questionnaire of Organizational Commitment and Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression. The quality of work life as perceived by nurses in Bangladesh was at moderate level. Monthly income was found as the best predictor followed by work environment, organizational commitment and job stress. A higher monthly income helps nurses to fulfil their personal needs; positive work environment helps to provide quality care to the patients. Quality of work life and predictors measured by self-report only may not reflect the original picture of the quality of work life among nurses. Findings provide information for nursing and health policymakers to develop policies to improve quality of work life among nurses that can contribute to quality of nursing care. This includes the working environment, commitment to the organization and measures to reduce job stress. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

Hypertension among adults in Bangladesh: evidence from a national cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Muhammad Abdul Baker; Uddin, Md Jamal; Haque, Md Rabiul; Ibrahimou, Boubakari

2016-01-25

Hypertension is an increasing problem in Southeast Asia, particularly in Bangladesh. Although some epidemiological studies on hypertension have been conducted in Bangladesh, the factors associated with hypertension in this nation remain unclear. We aimed to determine the factors associated with hypertension among the adults in Bangladesh. We conducted a cross-sectional study using data from the nationally representative 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). A total of 7,839 (3,964 women and 3,875 men) adults aged 35 years and older who participated in the survey was included. Hypertension was defined by a systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg and/or, diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mmHg and/or, receipt of an anti-hypertensive medication at time of the survey. The degree of association between the risk factors and the outcome was assessed by the odd ratio (OR) obtained from the bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 26.4 %, and the prevalence was higher in women (32.4%) than men (20.3%). Study participants with the age group of 60-69 years had higher odds of having hypertension (AOR: 3.77, 95% CI: 3.01-4.72) than the age group 35-39 years. Moreover, individuals who had higher educational attainment (AOR: 1.63, 95% C.I: 1.25-2.14) and higher wealth status (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.54-2.38) had higher odds of having hypertension than the individuals with no education and lower social status, respectively. The analysis also showed that high BMI (AOR: 2.19, 95% C.I: 1.87-2.57) and having diabetes (AOR: 1.54, 95% C.I: 1.31-1.83) were associated with the increasing risk of hypertension. Our study shows that the risk of hypertension was significantly associated with older age, sex, education, place of residence, working status, wealth index, BMI, and diabetes. Moreover, hypertension is largely untreated, especially in rural settings. The health system needs to develop appropriate strategies

Socio-demographic factors affecting knowledge level of Tuberculosis patients in Rajshahi City, Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mondal, M N I; Nazrul, Hoque M; Chowdhury, M R K; Howard, J

2014-12-01

The Tuberculosis (TB) control program in Bangladesh is still unsatisfactory due to insufficient knowledge and stigma about TB. Patients with low knowledge may be at higher risk of experiencing delays in diagnosis and appropriate treatment. The aims of this study were to identify the knowledge levels of TB and investigate the factors associated with knowledge level among the TB patients in Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Rajshahi City, Bangladesh. A total of 384 TB patients were interviewed through a pretested, structured questionnaire using purposive sampling techniques. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of selected socio-demographic factors on TB knowledge level. The results revealed that pulmonary TB patients had greater knowledge than that of extra-pulmonary patients, and that sex, age, educational status and TB type were significantly associated with knowledge level. In general, males and young adults, ages 21-35, had greater awareness about transmission and prevention of TB than females and adults over 35. Individuals with higher education and urban area patients were comparatively better informed about TB infection. Patients with greater knowledge about TB were also less likely to experience delays in seeking treatment.

Effects of occupational illness on labor productivity: A socioeconomic aspect of informal sector workers in urban Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ahmed, Sayem; Ahmed, Mohammad Wahid; Hoque, Mohammad Enamul; Islam, Ziaul; Gazi, Rukhsana; Khan, Jahangir A.M.

2016-01-01

Objectives: The informal sector is the dominant area of employment and the economy for any developing country including Bangladesh. The cost of productivity loss due to absence from work or presenteeism with illness has rarely been examined in the Bangladesh context. This current study, therefore, attempted to examine the impact of ill health of informal sector workers on labor productivity, future earning, and healthcare-related expenditure. Methodology: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among three occupational groups of informal workers (rickshaw pullers, shopkeepers and restaurant workers) that were generally found in all urban areas in Bangladesh. A total of 557 informal workers were surveyed for this study. Results: Most of the respondents (57%) reported that they had been affected by some type of illness for the last six months. The overall average healthcare expenditure of informal workers was US$48.34, while restaurant workers expended more (US$53.61). Self reported sickness absenteeism was highest (50.37days) in the case of shop keepers, followed by rickshaw pullers (49.31 days), in the last six months. Considering the income loss due to illness in the past six months, the rickshaw pullers were exposed to the highest income loss (US$197.15), followed by the shop keepers (US$151.39). Conclusions: Although the informal sector contributes the most to the economy of Bangladesh, the workers in this sector have hardly any financial protection. This study provides critical clues to providing financial and social protection to informal sector workers in Bangladesh. PMID:27010089

Effects of occupational illness on labor productivity: A socioeconomic aspect of informal sector workers in urban Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Ahmed, Sayem; Ahmed, Mohammad Wahid; Hoque, Mohammad Enamul; Islam, Ziaul; Gazi, Rukhsana; Khan, Jahangir A M

2016-05-25

The informal sector is the dominant area of employment and the economy for any developing country including Bangladesh. The cost of productivity loss due to absence from work or presenteeism with illness has rarely been examined in the Bangladesh context. This current study, therefore, attempted to examine the impact of ill health of informal sector workers on labor productivity, future earning, and healthcare-related expenditure. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among three occupational groups of informal workers (rickshaw pullers, shopkeepers and restaurant workers) that were generally found in all urban areas in Bangladesh. A total of 557 informal workers were surveyed for this study. Most of the respondents (57%) reported that they had been affected by some type of illness for the last six months. The overall average healthcare expenditure of informal workers was US$48.34, while restaurant workers expended more (US$53.61). Self reported sickness absenteeism was highest (50.37days) in the case of shop keepers, followed by rickshaw pullers (49.31 days), in the last six months. Considering the income loss due to illness in the past six months, the rickshaw pullers were exposed to the highest income loss (US$197.15), followed by the shop keepers (US$151.39). Although the informal sector contributes the most to the economy of Bangladesh, the workers in this sector have hardly any financial protection. This study provides critical clues to providing financial and social protection to informal sector workers in Bangladesh.

Reductions in abortion-related mortality following policy reform: evidence from Romania, South Africa and Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Unsafe abortion is a significant contributor to worldwide maternal mortality; however, abortion law and policy liberalization could lead to drops in unsafe abortion and related deaths. This review provides an analysis of changes in abortion mortality in three countries where significant policy reform and related service delivery occurred. Drawing on peer-reviewed literature, population data and grey literature on programs and policies, this paper demonstrates the policy and program changes that led to declines in abortion-related mortality in Romania, South Africa and Bangladesh. In all three countries, abortion policy liberalization was followed by implementation of safe abortion services and other reproductive health interventions. South Africa and Bangladesh trained mid-level providers to offer safe abortion and menstrual regulation services, respectively, Romania improved contraceptive policies and services, and Bangladesh made advances in emergency obstetric care and family planning. The findings point to the importance of multi-faceted and complementary reproductive health reforms in successful implementation of abortion policy reform. PMID:22192901

Dowry and Spousal Physical Violence against Women in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naved, Ruchira Tabassum; Persson, Lars Ake

2010-01-01

This article explores whether payment issues or presence of dowry demand in marriage reflecting patriarchal attitude of marital family underlies the positive relationship between dowry and wife abuse using a sample of reproductive-age women (N = 2,702) from a population-based survey conducted in urban and rural Bangladesh in 2001. Regression…

Climatic Alterations of Wetlands: Conservation and Adaptation Practices in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siddiquee, S. A.

2016-02-01

Unique geographic location and geo-morphological conditions of Bangladesh have made the wetlands of this country one of the most vulnerable to climate change. Wetland plays a crucial role in maintaining the ecological balance of ecosystems and cultural figures and which occupy around 50% of the area. Drought, excessive temperature, mountain snowfields and glaciers melting, riverbank erosion, salinity intrusion, flashflood, storm surges, higher water temperatures, precipitation anomalies, coastal cyclones, seasonal anomalies and extremes are main threats to the wetland ecosystem. Enhanced UV-B radiation and increased summer precipitation will significantly increase dissolved organic carbon concentrations altering major biogeochemical cycles and also will result into the expansion of range for many invasive aquatic weeds. Generally, rising temperature will lower water quality through a fall in oxygen concentrations, release of phosphorus from sediments, increased thermal stability, and altered mixing patterns. As a result biodiversity is getting degraded, many species of flora and fauna are getting threatened, and wetland-based ecosystem is getting degenerated. At the same time, the living conditions of local people are deteriorating as livelihoods, socioeconomic institutions, and extensive cultural values as well. For conserving and managing wetlands technology, legislation, educational knowledge, action plan strategy and restoration practices are required. In order to address the human needs in the changing climate community-based adaptation approaches and wetland restoration, practices had been taken in almost every type of wetlands in Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh now needs a comprehensive strategy and integrated system combining political, economic, social, technological approaches and institutional supports to address sustainable wetland restoration, conservation and the newly added crisis, climate change.

Performing monkeys of Bangladesh: characterizing their source and genetic variation.

PubMed

Hasan, M Kamrul; Feeroz, M Mostafa; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Engel, Gregory A; Akhtar, Sharmin; Kanthaswamy, Sree; Smith, David Glenn

2016-04-01

The acquisition and training of monkeys to perform is a centuries-old tradition in South Asia, resulting in a large number of rhesus macaques kept in captivity for this purpose. The performing monkeys are reportedly collected from free-ranging populations, and may escape from their owners or may be released into other populations. In order to determine whether this tradition involving the acquisition and movement of animals has influenced the population structure of free-ranging rhesus macaques in Bangladesh, we first characterized the source of these monkeys. Biological samples from 65 performing macaques collected between January 2010 and August 2013 were analyzed for genetic variation using 716 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA. Performing monkey sequences were compared with those of free-ranging rhesus macaque populations in Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. Forty-five haplotypes with 116 (16 %) polymorphic nucleotide sites were detected among the performing monkeys. As for the free-ranging rhesus population, most of the substitutions (89 %) were transitions, and no indels (insertion/deletion) were observed. The estimate of the mean number of pair-wise differences for the performing monkey population was 10.1264 ± 4.686, compared to 14.076 ± 6.363 for the free-ranging population. Fifteen free-ranging rhesus macaque populations were identified as the source of performing monkeys in Bangladesh; several of these populations were from areas where active provisioning has resulted in a large number of macaques. The collection of performing monkeys from India was also evident.

Implementation of information and communication technologies for health in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, Sheik Mohammed Shariful; Tabassum, Reshman

2015-11-01

Bangladesh has yet to develop a fully integrated health information system infrastructure that is critical to guiding policy development and planning. Initial pilot telemedicine and eHealth programmes were not coordinated at national level. However, in 2011, a national eHealth policy was implemented. Bangladesh has made substantial improvements to its health system. However, the country still faces public health challenges with limited and inequitable access to health services and lack of adequate resources to meet the demands of the population. In 2008, eHealth services were introduced, including computerization of health facilities at sub-district levels, internet connections, internet servers and an mHealth service for communicating with health-care providers. Health facilities at sub-district levels were provided with internet connections and servers. In 482 upazila health complexes and district hospitals, an mHealth service was set-up where an on-duty doctor is available for patients at all hours to provide consultations by mobile phone. A government operated telemedicine service was initiated and by 2014, 43 fully equipped centres were in service. These centres provide medical consultations by qualified physicians to patients visiting rural and remote community clinics and union health centres. Despite early pilot interventions and successful implementation, progress in adopting eHealth strategies in Bangladesh has been slow. There is a lack of common standards on information technology for health, which causes difficulties in data management and sharing among different databases. Limited internet bandwidth and the high cost of infrastructure and software development are barriers to adoption of these technologies.

Are 'Village Doctors' in Bangladesh a curse or a blessing?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Bangladesh is one of the health workforce crisis countries in the world. In the face of an acute shortage of trained professionals, ensuring healthcare for a population of 150 million remains a major challenge for the nation. To understand the issues related to shortage of health workforce and healthcare provision, this paper investigates the role of various healthcare providers in provision of health services in Chakaria, a remote rural area in Bangladesh. Methods Data were collected through a survey carried out during February 2007 among 1,000 randomly selected households from 8 unions of Chakaria Upazila. Information on health-seeking behaviour was collected from 1 randomly chosen member of a household from those who fell sick during 14 days preceding the survey. Results Around 44% of the villagers suffered from an illness during 14 days preceding the survey and of them 47% sought treatment for their ailment. 65% patients consulted Village Doctors and for 67% patients Village Doctors were the first line of care. Consultation with MBBS doctors was low at 14%. Given the morbidity level observed during the survey it was calculated that 250 physicians would be needed in Chakaria if the patients were to be attended by a qualified physician. Conclusions With the current shortage of physicians and level of production in the country it was asserted that it is very unlikely for Bangladesh to have adequate number of physicians in the near future. Thus, making use of existing healthcare providers, such as Village Doctors, could be considered a realistic option in dealing with the prevailing crisis. PMID:20602805

Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) oronasally inoculated with a Nipah virus isolate from Bangladesh or Malaysia develop similar respiratory tract lesions.

PubMed

Baseler, L; de Wit, E; Scott, D P; Munster, V J; Feldmann, H

2015-01-01

Nipah virus is a paramyxovirus in the genus Henipavirus, which has caused outbreaks in humans in Malaysia, India, Singapore, and Bangladesh. Whereas the human cases in Malaysia were characterized mainly by neurological symptoms and a case fatality rate of ∼40%, cases in Bangladesh also exhibited respiratory disease and had a case fatality rate of ∼70%. Here, we compared the histopathologic changes in the respiratory tract of Syrian hamsters, a well-established small animal disease model for Nipah virus, inoculated oronasally with Nipah virus isolates from human cases in Malaysia and Bangladesh. The Nipah virus isolate from Bangladesh caused slightly more severe rhinitis and bronchointerstitial pneumonia 2 days after inoculation in Syrian hamsters. By day 4, differences in lesion severity could no longer be detected. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated Nipah virus antigen in the nasal cavity and pulmonary lesions; the amount of Nipah virus antigen present correlated with lesion severity. Immunohistochemistry indicated that both Nipah virus isolates exhibited endotheliotropism in small- and medium-caliber arteries and arterioles, but not in veins, in the lung. This correlated with the location of ephrin B2, the main receptor for Nipah virus, in the vasculature. In conclusion, Nipah virus isolates from outbreaks in Malaysia and Bangladesh caused a similar type and severity of respiratory tract lesions in Syrian hamsters, suggesting that the differences in human disease reported in the outbreaks in Malaysia and Bangladesh are unlikely to have been caused by intrinsic differences in these 2 virus isolates. © The Author(s) 2014.

A Framework for Evaluating Qualitative Changes in Learners' Experience and Engagement: Developing Communicative English Teaching and Learning in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirkwood, Adrian Terence; Rae, Jan

2011-01-01

This article presents the context and framework for evaluation studies of educational transformations associated with the English in Action Project, Bangladesh (EIA) as it progresses over a nine-year period. EIA was launched in May 2008 with the intention of developing communicative English language learning and teaching in Bangladesh. Through a…

Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Bangladesh for gastrointestinal disorders.

PubMed

Kadir, Mohammad Fahim; Bin Sayeed, Muhammad Shahdaat; Mia, M M K

2013-05-02

Gastrointestinal diseases are common worldwide, including Bangladesh where majority of the rural people depend on water from unprotected sources. The people from Bangladesh use medicinal plants as their first line of health care to cure and prevent different types of gastrointestinal disorders. To compile plants used for the treatment of different gastrointestinal disorders in Bangladesh. The field survey was carried out in a period of 18 months. Fieldwork was undertaken in total of eleven districts of Bangladesh. Open-ended and semi structured questionnaire were used to interview a total of 1280 people including traditional healers, Ayurvedic/Unani drug manufacturers and local people. A total of 250 plant species of 93 families were listed. Leaves were the most cited plant part used against gastrointestinal disorders. Most of the reported species were tree in nature and decoction is the mode of preparation of major portions of the plant species. Most of the plant species were very common and were cultivated or planted in homestead or roadsides. The doses of the plants for different treatments varied widely. In view of the fact that the plants were selected based on their medicinal usage for treating different kinds of gastrointestinal diseases including diarrhoea, the activities reported here need more works for validation and could be rationalised by the presence of active compounds found in those plants. The documentation represents the preliminary information in need of future phytochemical investigation and is important for the conservation of these plants. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experience with the low-dose in Bangladesh.

PubMed

1982-03-01

Condom sales (brand name Raja) have grown dramatically in Bangladesh and presently, sales account for over 50% of condoms distributed and represent more than 500,000 couple-years of protection (CYP). By contrast, sales of Maya, Noriday's brand name, accounts for only 8.5% of the total oral contraceptive (OC) distribution in Bangladesh and accounts for less than 50,000 CYP. According to the Director of the Bangladesh Social Marketing Program, poor performance of Maya is attributable to marketing factors. The mass media program was ineffectual in motivating new acceptors but it did make Maya a "household word" and it is now almost synonymous with the pill. Despite the nonuse, the number of potential OC users is high and therefore the CSM Project management decided that a new product with a distinct name, a new price, and a new marketing strategy was necessary. Norminest, a low-dose 0.35 mg ethinyl estradiol became available through AID and it was seen as a real alternative to those hormonal contraceptive products already available. The name selected was Ovacon and its packaging (which included goldleaf to signify high quality) was quite different than what came before. The price was set at 4.00 taka/cycle ($.21 in U.S.) which was higher than the Maya but lower than other commercially available OCs. Distribution of this new product was to center around physicians and other medical professionals in urban areas and promotion was to be limited to professional publications. This strategy had 2 objectives: establish personal contact with users and overcome the common practice of blaming the health of clients for the complaints heard. Ovacon was launched in June 1980 and now it is being detailed to rural practitioners. It is still not available in high traffic shops or through panwallahs. While sales have grown to 20-25,000 cycles/month, they are still about 1/2 of Maya sales. Together, these 2 methods represent 50,000 CYP. What was not anticipated was the magnitude of

Traditional medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes in rural and urban areas of Dhaka, Bangladesh--an ethnobotanical survey.

PubMed

Ocvirk, Soeren; Kistler, Martin; Khan, Shusmita; Talukder, Shamim Hayder; Hauner, Hans

2013-06-24

The usage of medicinal plants is traditionally rooted in Bangladesh and still an essential part of public healthcare. Recently, a dramatically increasing prevalence brought diabetes mellitus and its therapy to the focus of public health interests in Bangladesh. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey to identify the traditional medicinal plants being used to treat diabetes in Bangladesh and to critically assess their anti-diabetic potentials with focus on evidence-based criteria. In an ethnobotanical survey in defined rural and urban areas 63 randomly chosen individuals (health professionals, diabetic patients), identified to use traditional medicinal plants to treat diabetes, were interviewed in a structured manner about their administration or use of plants for treating diabetes. In total 37 medicinal plants belonging to 25 families were reported as being used for the treatment of diabetes in Bangladesh. The most frequently mentioned plants were Coccinia indica, Azadirachta indica, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Syzygium cumini, Terminalia chebula, Ficus racemosa, Momordica charantia, Swietenia mahagoni. Traditional medicinal plants are commonly used in Bangladesh to treat diabetes. The available data regarding the anti-diabetic activity of the detected plants is not sufficient to adequately evaluate or recommend their use. Clinical intervention studies are required to provide evidence for a safe and effective use of the identified plants in the treatment of diabetes.

Genotype Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Strains Circulating in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Rume, Farzana Islam; Affuso, Alessia; Serrecchia, Luigina; Rondinone, Valeria; Manzulli, Viviana; Campese, Emanuele; Di Taranto, Pietro; Biswas, Paritosh Kumar; Ahsan, Chowdhury Rafiqul; Yasmin, Mahmuda; Fasanella, Antonio; Hugh-Jones, Martin

2016-01-01

In Bangladesh, anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is considered an endemic disease affecting ruminants with sporadic zoonotic occurrences in humans. Due to the lack of knowledge about risks from an incorrect removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and because of the socio-economic conditions, the situation is under-reported and under-diagnosed. For sensitive species, anthrax represents a fatal outcome with sudden death and sometimes bleeding from natural orifices. The most common source of infection for ruminants is ingestion of spores during grazing in contaminated pastures or through grass and water contaminated with anthrax spores. Domestic cattle, sheep and goats can also become infected through contaminated bone meal (used as feed) originating from anthrax-infected carcasses. The present investigation was conducted to isolate B. anthracis organisms from 169 samples (73 soil, 1 tissue, 4 bone and 91 bone meal samples) collected from 12 different districts of Bangladesh. The sampling was carried out from 2012 to 2015. Twelve samples resulted positive for B. anthracis. Biomolecular analyses were conducted starting from the Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (CanSNP) to analyze the phylogenetic origin of strains. The analysis of genotype, obtained through the Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) with the analysis of 15 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR), demonstrated four different genotypes: two of them were previously identified in the district of Sirajganj. The sub-genotyping, conducted with Single Nucleotide Repeats analysis, revealed the presence of eight subgenotypes. The data of the present study concluded that there was no observed correlation between imported cattle feed and anthrax occurrence in Bangladesh and that the remarkable genetic variations of B. anthracis were found in the soil of numerous outbreaks in this country.

Genotype Analysis of Bacillus anthracis Strains Circulating in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Rume, Farzana Islam; Affuso, Alessia; Serrecchia, Luigina; Rondinone, Valeria; Manzulli, Viviana; Campese, Emanuele; Di Taranto, Pietro; Biswas, Paritosh Kumar; Ahsan, Chowdhury Rafiqul; Yasmin, Mahmuda; Fasanella, Antonio; Hugh-Jones, Martin

2016-01-01

In Bangladesh, anthrax, caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis, is considered an endemic disease affecting ruminants with sporadic zoonotic occurrences in humans. Due to the lack of knowledge about risks from an incorrect removal of infected carcasses, the disease is not properly monitored, and because of the socio-economic conditions, the situation is under-reported and under-diagnosed. For sensitive species, anthrax represents a fatal outcome with sudden death and sometimes bleeding from natural orifices. The most common source of infection for ruminants is ingestion of spores during grazing in contaminated pastures or through grass and water contaminated with anthrax spores. Domestic cattle, sheep and goats can also become infected through contaminated bone meal (used as feed) originating from anthrax-infected carcasses. The present investigation was conducted to isolate B. anthracis organisms from 169 samples (73 soil, 1 tissue, 4 bone and 91 bone meal samples) collected from 12 different districts of Bangladesh. The sampling was carried out from 2012 to 2015. Twelve samples resulted positive for B. anthracis. Biomolecular analyses were conducted starting from the Canonical Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (CanSNP) to analyze the phylogenetic origin of strains. The analysis of genotype, obtained through the Multiple Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis (MLVA) with the analysis of 15 Variable Number Tandem Repeats (VNTR), demonstrated four different genotypes: two of them were previously identified in the district of Sirajganj. The sub-genotyping, conducted with Single Nucleotide Repeats analysis, revealed the presence of eight subgenotypes. The data of the present study concluded that there was no observed correlation between imported cattle feed and anthrax occurrence in Bangladesh and that the remarkable genetic variations of B. anthracis were found in the soil of numerous outbreaks in this country. PMID:27082248

School drop out in Bangladesh: Insights using panel data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabates, R.; Hossain, A.; Lewin, K.M.

2013-01-01

This paper examines the relative strength of different factors associated with school drop out using data collected between 2007 and 2009 in Bangladesh. A sample of 9046 children, aged 4-15, was selected across six districts for a household survey focusing on children's school access and experiences. Two groups of children were identified: those…

Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression: Eradicate the Poverty Level of the Women Farmer in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akhter, Zobaida

2008-01-01

In the socio-economic context of Bangladesh, involvement of women in agriculture is very important. It would be easier to control rural-urban migration by engaging women in agricultural activities to a greater extent. Women play a vital role in agricultural production throughout the Bangladesh, making a significant contribution to the basic…

Social Sciences in Asia I: Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand. Reports and Papers in the Social Sciences, No. 32.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

Part of a series which provides overviews of social science research and teaching in UNESCO member nations, the document focuses on Bangladesh, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand. One chapter is devoted to each of the five nations. Chapter I discusses social science teaching at major universities in Bangladesh and recommends that research…

Morpho-dynamics of the Brahmaputra-Jamuna River, Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarker, Maminul H.; Thorne, Colin R.; Aktar, M. Nazneen; Ferdous, Md. Ruknul

2014-06-01

The Jamuna River is the downstream continuation of the Brahmaputra in Bangladesh. It is one of the largest sand-bed braided rivers in the world and every year it erodes thousand hectares of mainland floodplain, rendering tens of thousands of people landless and/or homeless. Understanding the morpho-dynamics of this river and its responses to the various drivers of morphological change that act on it is essential to improving the livelihoods of millions of floodplain dwellers in Bangladesh, especially given the threats posed by climate change. Reliable data, information and knowledge of river process are sparse and so progress in linking the impacts of multiple drivers (including neo-tectonics, earthquakes, large-scale avulsions and engineering interventions) to complex morphological responses depends on making best use of historical maps, time-series satellite images, hydro-morphological data, expert judgment and local knowledge. This paper draws on all these sources to chronicle the morphological evolution of the Jamuna River since the avulsion that created it about 200 years ago, and to establish temporal trends and spatial patterns in the changes that have characterized process-response mechanisms in this fluvial system since then. The understanding gained from these investigations then supports deeper analyses to: explain how historical migration of the river westward has produced significant contrasts between left and right (west) bank material properties; elucidate the relationships between discharge, fluvial processes, anabranch instability and floodplain erosion rates, and; identify causal links between drivers and morphological responses at a variety of time and space scales. Finally, the new knowledge generated by the analyses developed herein are combined with existing, conceptual and empirical process-response models for the Jamuna to predict possible future morphological adjustments in ways helpful in identifying appropriate strategies for climate

Quality and quantity of infertility care in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Fatima, P; Ishrat, S; Rahman, D; Banu, J; Deeba, F; Begum, N; Anwary, S A; Hossain, H B

2015-01-01

Infertility is an important health issue which has been neglected in the developing countries. First test-tube babies (triplet) in Bangladesh were born on 30th May, 2001. Although there is no tertiary level infertility center in the public sector, several private centers have come up with the facilities. The objective of the study was to find i) the quality and quantity of infertility care in Bangladesh and ii) the cause of infertility in the attending patients iii) the treatment seeking behaviors iv) and the reasons for not taking treatment among the attending patients. There are now 10 tertiary level Infertility centers in Bangladesh. The information was collected in a preformed datasheet about the facilities and the profile of the patients and the treatment seeking behavior of the attending patients. Out of the ten centers two centers refused to respond and did not disclose their data. Around 16700 new patients are enrolled in a year in the responsive clinics. Five percent (5%) of the patients underwent ART, 7% of the patients gave only one visit, 84% of the patients completed their evaluation, 76% of the patients took treatment. Causes of infertility in the patients taking treatment were male factor in 36.4%, bilateral tubal block in 20.2%, PCOS and anovulation in 31.7%, endometriosis in 19.6%, unexplained in 10.95, combined in 3.5%, ovarian failure in 1.4%, testicular failure in 0.33%, congenital anomaly in 0.3%. The main reason for not taking treatment was financial constrainment. The quality and quantity of infertility care is dependent on the available resources and on the use of the resources by the patients. In developing countries the resources are merging and confined to specified areas which cannot meet the demand of their population. The study gives us the idea of the need and the demand of the services in the country.

Arsenic Incorporation Into Authigenic Pyrite, Bengal Basin Sediment, Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lowers, H.A.; Breit, G.N.; Foster, A.L.

2007-07-10

Sediment from two deep boreholes ({approx}400 m) approximately 90 km apart in southern Bangladesh was analyzed by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), total chemical analyses, chemical extractions, and electron probe microanalysis to establish the importance of authigenic pyrite as a sink for arsenic in the Bengal Basin. Authigenic framboidal and massive pyrite (median values 1500 and 3200 ppm As, respectively), is the principal arsenic residence in sediment from both boreholes. Although pyrite is dominant, ferric oxyhydroxides and secondary iron phases contain a large fraction of the sediment-bound arsenic between approximately 20 and 100 m, which is the depth range of wellsmore » containing the greatest amount of dissolved arsenic. The lack of pyrite in this interval is attributed to rapid sediment deposition and a low sulfur flux from riverine and atmospheric sources. The ability of deeper aquifers (>150 m) to produce ground water with low dissolved arsenic in southern Bangladesh reflects adequate sulfur supplies and sufficient time to redistribute the arsenic into pyrite during diagenesis.« less

Emergence of wheat blast in Bangladesh was caused by a South American lineage of Magnaporthe oryzae.

PubMed

Islam, M Tofazzal; Croll, Daniel; Gladieux, Pierre; Soanes, Darren M; Persoons, Antoine; Bhattacharjee, Pallab; Hossain, Md Shaid; Gupta, Dipali Rani; Rahman, Md Mahbubur; Mahboob, M Golam; Cook, Nicola; Salam, Moin U; Surovy, Musrat Zahan; Sancho, Vanessa Bueno; Maciel, João Leodato Nunes; NhaniJúnior, Antonio; Castroagudín, Vanina Lilián; Reges, Juliana T de Assis; Ceresini, Paulo Cezar; Ravel, Sebastien; Kellner, Ronny; Fournier, Elisabeth; Tharreau, Didier; Lebrun, Marc-Henri; McDonald, Bruce A; Stitt, Timothy; Swan, Daniel; Talbot, Nicholas J; Saunders, Diane G O; Win, Joe; Kamoun, Sophien

2016-10-03

In February 2016, a new fungal disease was spotted in wheat fields across eight districts in Bangladesh. The epidemic spread to an estimated 15,000 hectares, about 16 % of the cultivated wheat area in Bangladesh, with yield losses reaching up to 100 %. Within weeks of the onset of the epidemic, we performed transcriptome sequencing of symptomatic leaf samples collected directly from Bangladeshi fields. Reinoculation of seedlings with strains isolated from infected wheat grains showed wheat blast symptoms on leaves of wheat but not rice. Our phylogenomic and population genomic analyses revealed that the wheat blast outbreak in Bangladesh was most likely caused by a wheat-infecting South American lineage of the blast fungus Magnaporthe oryzae. Our findings suggest that genomic surveillance can be rapidly applied to monitor plant disease outbreaks and provide valuable information regarding the identity and origin of the infectious agent.

Using lot quality assurance sampling to improve immunization coverage in Bangladesh.

PubMed Central

Tawfik, Y.; Hoque, S.; Siddiqi, M.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine areas of low vaccination coverage in five cities in Bangladesh (Chittagong, Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, and Syedpur). METHODS: Six studies using lot quality assurance sampling were conducted between 1995 and 1997 by Basic Support for Institutionalizing Child Survival and the Bangladesh National Expanded Programme on Immunization. FINDINGS: BCG vaccination coverage was acceptable in all lots studied; however, the proportion of lots rejected because coverage of measles vaccination was low ranged from 0% of lots in Syedpur to 12% in Chittagong and 20% in Dhaka's zones 7 and 8. The proportion of lots rejected because an inadequate number of children in the sample had been fully vaccinated varied from 11% in Syedpur to 30% in Dhaka. Additionally, analysis of aggregated, weighted immunization coverage showed that there was a high BCG vaccination coverage (the first administered vaccine) and a low measles vaccination coverage (the last administered vaccine) indicating a high drop-out rate, ranging from 14% in Syedpur to 36% in Dhaka's zone 8. CONCLUSION: In Bangladesh, where resources are limited, results from surveys using lot quality assurance sampling enabled managers of the National Expanded Programme on Immunization to identify areas with poor vaccination coverage. Those areas were targeted to receive focused interventions to improve coverage. Since this sampling method requires only a small sample size and was easy for staff to use, it is feasible for routine monitoring of vaccination coverage. PMID:11436470

Pattern of hematological malignancies in adolescents and young adults in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hasan, Md Mahbub; Raheem, Enayetur; Sultana, Tanvira Afroze; Hossain, Mohammad Sorowar

2017-12-01

The adolescent and young adult (AYA) age group (15-39 years) bears distinct characteristics in terms of cancer biology, long-term health and treatment-related complications and psychosocial aspects. The overall scenario of cancer including hematological malignancies (HMs) is largely unknown in Bangladesh, where a significant proportion of people (44% of total population) belong to AYA age group. This study aims to describe the patterns of HM among AYA in the context of Bangladesh METHODS: Two previously published datasets (on hematological malignancies and childhood and adolescent cancer) were merged to construct a comprehensive dataset focusing exclusively on HMs in AYA age group. Univariate descriptive statistics were calculated and bivariate association were tested using Pearson's Chi-square test. A total of 2144 diagnosed HM related cases over a period of 2007-2014 were analyzed. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was the most frequent HM (35.1%) in AYAs, which was followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) constituting 22.7% and 20.8%, respectively. Among lymphomas, Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) constituted 13.9% of all HMs while 4.6% was for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL). This is the first attempt to provide a glimpse on the pattern and distribution of HMs among AYA in Bangladesh. Future studies are essential to get a better insight on the epidemiology, biology, potential risk factors and treatment outcomes for the AYA age group. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Trends and determinants of inequities in childhood stunting in Bangladesh from 1996/7 to 2014.

PubMed

Rabbani, Atonu; Khan, Akib; Yusuf, Sifat; Adams, Alayne

2016-11-16

We explore long-term trends and determinants of socioeconomic inequities in chronic childhood undernutrition measured by stunting among under-five children in Bangladesh. Given that one in three children remain stunted in Bangladesh, the socioeconomic mapping of stunting prevalence may be critical in designing public policies and interventions to eradicate childhood undernutrition. Six rounds of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey data are utilized, spanning the period 1996/97 to 2014. Using recognized measures of absolute and relative inequality (namely, absolute and relative difference, concentration curve and index), we quantify trends, and decompose changes in the concentration index to identify factors that best explain observed dynamics. Despite remarkable improvements in average nutritional status over the last two decades, socio-economic inequalities have persisted, and according to some measures, even worsened. For example, expressed as rate-ratios, the relative inequality in under-five stunting increased by 56% and the concentration index more than doubled between 1996/97 and 2014. Decomposition analyses find that wealth and maternal factors such as mothers' schooling and short stature are major contributors to observed socio-economic inequalities in child undernutrition and their changes over time. Reflecting on recent success around socioeconomic and gender equity in child mortality, and the weak legacy of nutrition policy in Bangladesh, we suggest that nutrition programming energies be focused specifically on the most disadvantaged and applied at scale to close socioeconomic gaps in stunting prevalence.

Combining Education and Work; Experiences in Asia and Oceania: Bangladesh.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dacca Univ., Bangladesh. Inst. of Education and Research.

Bangladesh stresses the importance of education responsive to the country's development needs and capable of producing, through formal or non-formal methods, skilled, employable manpower. Although no pre-vocational training exists, new curricula have introduced practical work experience in the primary schools and have integrated agriculture,…

Quality and Processes of Bangladesh Open University Course Materials Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Islam, Tofazzal; Rahman, Morshedur; Rahman, K. M. Rezanur

2006-01-01

A new member of the mega-Universities, Bangladesh Open University (BOU) introduced a course team approach for developing effective course materials for distance students. BOU teaching media includes printed course books, study guides, radio and television broadcasts, audiocassettes and occasional face-to-face tutorials. Each course team…

The impact of snake bite on household economy in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hasan, S M K; Basher, A; Molla, A A; Sultana, N K; Faiz, M A

2012-01-01

The present study aims to assess the different types of costs for treatment of snake bite patients, to quantify household economic impact and to understand the coping mechanisms required to cover the costs for snake bite patients in Bangladesh. The patients admitted to four tertiary level hospitals in Bangladesh were interviewed using structured questionnaires including health-care-related expenditures and the way in which the expenditures were covered. Of the snakes which bit the patients, 54.2% were non-venomous, 45.8% were venomous and 42.2% of the patients were given polyvalent antivenom. The total expenditure related to snake bite varies from US$4 (US$1 = Taka 72) to US$2294 with a mean of US$124 and the mean income loss was US$93. Expenditure for venomous snake bite was US$231, which is about seven times higher than non-venomous snake bite (US$34). The treatment imposes a major economic burden on affected families, especially in venomous snake bite cases.

[Children and bankers in Bangladesh].

PubMed

Hartmann, B

1991-06-01

This critique of the World Bank's role in developing country population programs begins with a description of a 1987 case in which an 80-year- old Bangladeshi man was persuaded to undergo vasectomy and then robbed of his incentive payment by the health agent. For over 20 years, the World Bank has pressured 3rd World governments to implement population control programs. Although there are divergent opinions within the World Bank, the most dominant is the neomalthusian view that the poor through their high fertility help perpetuate their own poverty. This view hides the real source of poverty in the Third World: the unequal distribution of resources within these countries and between the developed and developing countries. The World Bank has always been blind to the inequalities, and has associated with the elites of developing countries who monopolize the resources of their countries and thereby impede authentic development. Furthermore, the emphasis on population control distorts social policy and hinders the implementation of safe and voluntary family planning services. In many countries the World Bank has required governments to give greater priority to population control than to basic health services. It has pressured them to relax contraceptive prescription norms and has promoted the more effective methods without regard to proper use or side effects. In Bangladesh the World Bank has sponsored sterilization programs that rely on coercion and incentives. In that country of enormous inequities, 10% of landowners control over 50% of lands, while nearly half the population is landless and chronically underemployed. Political power is concentrated in the military government, which annually receives over 1.5 billion dollars in external aid. External aid primarily benefits the wealthy. 3/4 of the population are undernourished and less than 1/3 are literate or have access to basic health care. The poor of Bangladesh, as in many other countries, feel that their only

Awareness of Tobacco-Related Health Harms among Vulnerable Populations in Bangladesh: Findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey

PubMed Central

Driezen, Pete; Abdullah, Abu S.; Nargis, Nigar; Hussain, A. K. M. Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Thompson, Mary E.; Quah, Anne C. K.; Xu, Steve

2016-01-01

This study assessed the knowledge of the harmful effects of tobacco use among vulnerable populations in Bangladesh and whether vulnerability was associated with the presence of complete home smoking bans. Data came from Wave 3 (2011–2012) of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh Survey, a nationally-representative survey of 3131 tobacco users and 2147 non-users. Socio-demographic measures of disadvantage were used as proxy measures of vulnerability, including sex, residential location, education and income. Outcome measures were awareness of the harmful effects of (a) cigarette smoking and (b) smokeless tobacco use and (c) whether respondents had complete smoking bans in their homes. Logistic regression was used to examine whether the adjusted prevalence of each outcome differed by socio-demographic proxies of vulnerability. Smaller percentages of women, the illiterate, urban slum residents and low-income Bangladeshis were aware of the health harms of tobacco. These vulnerable groups generally had lower odds of awareness compared to the least disadvantaged groups. Incomplete knowledge of tobacco’s harms may prevent vulnerable groups from taking steps to protect their health. Development goals, such as increasing literacy rates and empowering women, can complement the goals of WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. PMID:27571090

Design of water pumping system by wind turbine for using in coastal areas of Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Muhammad Mahbubul; Tasnim, Tamanna; Doha, Umnia

2017-06-01

In this work, a theoretical analysis has been carried out to analyze the prospect of Wind Pumping System (WPS) for using in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Wind speed data of three coastal areas of Bangladesh-Kutubdia, Patenga and Sathkhira has been analyzed and an optimal wind turbine viable for this wind speed range has been designed using the simulation software Q-blade. The simulated turbine is then coupled with a rotodynamic pump. The output of the Wind Pumping System (WPS) for the three coastal areas has been studied.

Case Studies for Management Development in Bangladesh. Second Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLean, Gary N.

These 15 case studies developed by faculty at institutions in Bangladesh are appropriate for use in a course in management development. The typical case describes a real business situation in which a real manager had to reach a decision. The case gives quantitative and qualitative information that is, or may be, relevant to that decision.…

Urban Inequality, Social Exclusion and Schooling in Dhaka, Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Stuart James

2017-01-01

This paper asks whether education is a viable route to better livelihoods and social inclusion for children living in poor urban areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It uses qualitative interviews with 36 students aged 11-16, living in slum and middle-class areas, and also draws on data from a larger, mixed-methods study to provide context. Many children…

Economic burden of influenza-associated hospitalizations and outpatient visits in Bangladesh during 2010

PubMed Central

Bhuiyan, Mejbah U; Luby, Stephen P; Alamgir, Nadia I; Homaira, Nusrat; Mamun, Abdullah A; Khan, Jahangir A M; Abedin, Jaynal; Sturm-Ramirez, Katharine; Gurley, Emily S; Zaman, Rashid U; Alamgir, ASM; Rahman, Mahmudur; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Azziz-Baumgartner, Eduardo

2014-01-01

Objective Understanding the costs of influenza-associated illness in Bangladesh may help health authorities assess the cost-effectiveness of influenza prevention programs. We estimated the annual economic burden of influenza-associated hospitalizations and outpatient visits in Bangladesh. Design From May through October 2010, investigators identified both outpatients and inpatients at four tertiary hospitals with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection through rRT-PCR. Research assistants visited case-patients' homes within 30 days of hospital visit/discharge and administered a structured questionnaire to capture direct medical costs (physician consultation, hospital bed, medicines and diagnostic tests), direct non-medical costs (food, lodging and travel) and indirect costs (case-patients' and caregivers' lost income). We used WHO-Choice estimates for routine healthcare service costs. We added direct, indirect and healthcare service costs to calculate cost-per-episode. We used median cost-per-episode, published influenza-associated outpatient and hospitalization rates and Bangladesh census data to estimate the annual economic burden of influenza-associated illnesses in 2010. Results We interviewed 132 outpatients and 41 hospitalized patients. The median cost of an influenza-associated outpatient visit was US$4.80 (IQR = 2.93–8.11) and an influenza-associated hospitalization was US$82.20 (IQR = 59.96–121.56). We estimated that influenza-associated outpatient visits resulted in US$108 million (95% CI: 76–147) in direct costs and US$59 million (95% CI: 37–91) in indirect costs; influenza-associated hospitalizations resulted in US$1.4 million (95% CI: 0.4–2.6) in direct costs and US$0.4 million (95% CI: 0.1–0.8) in indirect costs in 2010. Conclusions In Bangladesh, influenza-associated illnesses caused an estimated US$169 million in economic loss in 2010, largely driven by frequent but low-cost outpatient visits. PMID:24750586

Economic burden of influenza-associated hospitalizations and outpatient visits in Bangladesh during 2010.

PubMed

Bhuiyan, Mejbah U; Luby, Stephen P; Alamgir, Nadia I; Homaira, Nusrat; Mamun, Abdullah A; Khan, Jahangir A M; Abedin, Jaynal; Sturm-Ramirez, Katharine; Gurley, Emily S; Zaman, Rashid U; Alamgir, A S M; Rahman, Mahmudur; Widdowson, Marc-Alain; Azziz-Baumgartner, Eduardo

2014-07-01

Understanding the costs of influenza-associated illness in Bangladesh may help health authorities assess the cost-effectiveness of influenza prevention programs. We estimated the annual economic burden of influenza-associated hospitalizations and outpatient visits in Bangladesh. From May through October 2010, investigators identified both outpatients and inpatients at four tertiary hospitals with laboratory-confirmed influenza infection through rRT-PCR. Research assistants visited case-patients' homes within 30 days of hospital visit/discharge and administered a structured questionnaire to capture direct medical costs (physician consultation, hospital bed, medicines and diagnostic tests), direct non-medical costs (food, lodging and travel) and indirect costs (case-patients' and caregivers' lost income). We used WHO-Choice estimates for routine healthcare service costs. We added direct, indirect and healthcare service costs to calculate cost-per-episode. We used median cost-per-episode, published influenza-associated outpatient and hospitalization rates and Bangladesh census data to estimate the annual economic burden of influenza-associated illnesses in 2010. We interviewed 132 outpatients and 41 hospitalized patients. The median cost of an influenza-associated outpatient visit was US$4.80 (IQR = 2.93-8.11) and an influenza-associated hospitalization was US$82.20 (IQR = 59.96-121.56). We estimated that influenza-associated outpatient visits resulted in US$108 million (95% CI: 76-147) in direct costs and US$59 million (95% CI: 37-91) in indirect costs; influenza-associated hospitalizations resulted in US$1.4 million (95% CI: 0.4-2.6) in direct costs and US$0.4 million (95% CI: 0.1-0.8) in indirect costs in 2010. In Bangladesh, influenza-associated illnesses caused an estimated US$169 million in economic loss in 2010, largely driven by frequent but low-cost outpatient visits. © 2014 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons

Household environment and behavioral determinants of respiratory tract infection in infants and young children in northern Bangladesh.

PubMed

Nasanen-Gilmore, S Pieta K; Saha, Subir; Rasul, Izaz; Rousham, Emily K

2015-01-01

Respiratory tract infections (RTI) are one of the leading causes of under-five mortality in Bangladesh. Solid biomass fuels are the main source of domestic fuel used for cooking across Bangladesh, leading to smoke and pollution exposure in the home. This article aims to identify risk factors for RTI among children aged under five years in Bangladesh with a particular focus on the household environment, fuel use, and cooking practices. A cross-sectional household-health survey was carried out in 321 households in northern Bangladesh. The survey included care-giver interviews on cooking practices, child health, and household behaviors during cooking. Health status of the youngest child (under five years) from each household was recorded through maternal interviews, medical diagnosis, and assessment of biomarkers (C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin) from finger-prick blood samples. Anthropometric status (weight, height) was recorded. Children who spent ≥30 minutes/day within 5 feet of the stove during cooking had a significantly increased risk of moderate/severe RTI compared with children spending <30 minutes/day close to the stove (OR = 2.15, 95%CI: 1.20-3.86, P = 0.01), independent of socio-economic status (SES), biomass fuel type (wood, dung, plant-derived, compressed rice husks), child age, anthropometric status, CRP and hemoglobin. In environments with a heavy reliance on solid biomass fuels, the amount of time a child spends near the stove during cooking may be an important risk for RTI. These novel findings from Bangladesh warrant further investigation of mother-infant behaviors during cooking in relation to child health, to ascertain whether the association is likely to be causal. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Continuing Evolution of H5N1 and H9N2 Influenza Viruses in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Marinova-Petkova, Atanaska; Shanmuganatham, Karthik; Feeroz, Mohammed M.; Jones-Engel, Lisa; Hassan, M. Kamrul; Akhtar, Sharmin; Turner, Jasmine; Walker, David; Seiler, Patrick; Franks, John; McKenzie, Pamela; Krauss, Scott; Webby, Richard J.; Webster, Robert G.

2017-01-01

Summary In 2011, avian influenza surveillance at the Bangladesh live bird markets (LBMs) showed complete replacement of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus of clade 2.2.2 (Qinghai-like H5N1 lineage) by the HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1. This clade, which continues to circulate in Bangladesh and neighboring countries, is an intra- and inter-clade reassortant; its HA, PB1, PA and NS genes come from subclade 2.3.2.1a; PB2 from subclade 2.3.2.1c; and NA, NP, and M from clade 2.3.4.2. The H9N2 influenza viruses co-circulating in the Bangladesh LBMs are also reassortants, possessing five genes (NS, M, NP, PA, and PB1) from a HPAI H7N3 virus previously isolated in Pakistan. Despite frequent co-infection of chickens and ducks, reassortment between these H5N1 and H9N2 viruses has been rare. However, all such reassortants detected in 2011 through 2013 have carried 7 genes from HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.2.1a and the PB1 gene from the Bangladeshi H9N2 clade G1 Mideast, itself derived from HPAI H7N3 virus. Although, the live birds which we sampled in Bangladesh showed no clinical signs of morbidity, the emergence of this reassortant HPAI H5N1 lineage further complicates endemic circulation of H5N1 viruses in Bangladesh, posing a threat to both poultry and humans. PMID:27309046

Radioactive waste management and practice in Bangladesh

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mollah, A.S.; Rahman, M.M.

1993-12-31

A large amount of low- and medium-level radioactive wastes are being generated in different parts of Bangladesh. The solid wastes are being collected in steel containers and liquid wastes are collected in plastic carboys and drums. Gaseous Ar-41 is discharged into the atmosphere through the 25 m height stack under controlled conditions after proper monitoring. The solid radioactive wastes collected are approximately 5 m{sup 3} (1988--1992) with gross beta-gamma surface dose rates from 0.30 {micro}Sv/h to 250 {micro}Sv/h. The liquid radioactive wastes are approximately 200 liters (1988--1992) with gross-beta-gamma surface dose rates from 0.30 {micro}Sv/h to 1 mSv/h. The solidmore » and liquid wastes presently being collected are mostly short lived and low level and safely stored according to international safety codes of practice. Radioactive waste packages collected during the 5-yrs study totaled 16, representing a collective volume of {approximately} 7.5 m{sup 3}. The problem of management of radioactive waste in Bangladesh is not so serious at present because the wastes arising are small now. A computerized data base has been developed to document inventory of all radioactive waste arising in the country. The current practices of collection, handling, safe storage and management of the radioactive wastes are reported in this paper.« less

The development of an intervention package to prevent children under five years old drowning in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hossain, Mosharaf; Mani, Kulanthayan K C; Mohd Sidik, Sherina; Kadir Shahar, Hayati

2016-08-01

There are an estimated 372 000 worldwide deaths by drowning every year, and it has been described as a secret epidemic in Bangladesh. The aim of this study was to develop an intervention package to prevent children under the age of five from drowning in rural Bangladesh. This was a qualitative study using focus group discussions in three villages in rural Bangladesh. The 45 participants were mothers and fathers with children under five, the parents of children who had drowned and community leaders. The majority of the participants (71%) were male. The focus groups revealed that most drowning's occurred between 11am and 2pm and that risk factors included the following: children not being able to swim, ditches that were not filled in, lack of medical facilities, parents who were not aware of childhood drowning and lack of information through the media about how to prevent of childhood drowning. Suggestions included using a mobile-based short messaging service or voice calls to parents, especially mothers, could increase awareness and reduce the risk of childhood drowning. A safety education programme could be effective in increasing knowledge and changing attitudes, which could prevent drowning among children in Bangladesh. ©2016 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Arsenic in groundwater in Bangladesh: A geostatistical and epidemiological framework for evaluating health effects and potential remedies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Winston H.; Harvey, Charles M.; Harvey, Charles F.

2003-06-01

This paper examines the health crisis in Bangladesh due to dissolved arsenic in groundwater. First, we use geostatistical methods to construct a map of arsenic concentrations that divides Bangladesh into regions and estimate vertical concentration trends in these regions. Then, we use census data to estimate exposure distributions in the regions; we use epidemiological data from West Bengal and Taiwan to estimate dose response functions for arsenicosis and arsenic-induced cancers; and we combine the regional exposure distributions and the dose response models to estimate the health effects of groundwater arsenic in Bangladesh. We predict that long-term exposure to present arsenic concentrations will result in approximately 1,200,000 cases of hyperpigmentation, 600,000 cases of keratosis, 125,000 cases of skin cancer, and 3000 fatalities per year from internal cancers. Although these estimates are very uncertain, the method provides a framework for incorporating better data as it becomes available. Moreover, we examine the remedy of drilling deeper wells in selected regions of Bangladesh. By replacing 31% of the wells in the country with deeper wells the health effects of drinking groundwater arsenic could be reduced by approximately 70% provided that arsenic concentrations in deep wells remain relatively low.

Bangladesh becomes "success story".

PubMed

1999-01-01

The State Minister for Health and Family of Bangladesh, Dr. Mohammed Amanullah, highlighted some of the successes being achieved by his country in lowering fertility and improving the lives of the people since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development. Some of these successes include practical measures to eliminate violence against women; introduction of a quota for women in public sector employment; and launching of the Health and Population Sector Program to provide a one-stop, full range of essential reproductive health, family planning and child health services through an integrated delivery mechanism. Moreover, the Minister informed the Forum participants that their success is attributable to many factors which include support from the government, from non-governmental organizations, civil society, mass media, religious and other community leaders, intersectoral collaboration, microcredit and income-generation activities.

Interseismic deformation at the leading edge of obliquely converging Burmese plate in densely populated Bangladesh.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akhter, S. H.; Steckler, M. S.; Seeber, L.; Mondal, D. R.; Goodbred, S. L., Jr.

2016-12-01

Densely populated Bangladesh sits at the juncture of 3-tectonic plates, India to the west and southwest, Eurasia to the north and non-rigid Burma platelet to the east. Moreover, the plate boundary between India and Burma passes through Bangladesh - the eastern part belongs to Burma plate while the western part belongs to Indian plate. Eastern Bangladesh, northeastern India and western Myanmar is characterized by the up to 250 km wide and 1400 km long Indo-Burma fold and thrust belt resulting from the oblique convergence of India-Burma plates. The northern extension of the Sumatra-Andaman subduction zone evolved from typical oceanic subduction in the Paleogene to the present subaerial subduction of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta. Subduction of the thick sedimentary pile has created the broad accretionary prism that prograding westward in Bangladesh. The deformation front runs near the low elevation Meghna estuary to the south and Sylhet marshes to the north. It is further demarcated by the westernmost buried anticlines of the fold and thrust belt, the Shahbazpur, Muladi, Kamta structures west of the Meghna River and Chatak structure in Sylhet. This position is reinforced by variations in the depth of the Holocene/Pleistocene boundary from shallow drilling. Recent GPS analysis demonstrates that the Indo-Burman subduction in deltaic Bangladesh is still active with convergence of 13 to 17 mm/y and that the décollement beneath the fold-thrust belt is locked (Steckler et. al., 2016). A megathrust earthquake occurred along Chittagong-Arakan coast in 1762 and a great earthquake in Upper Assam in 1548 brought remarkable changes in topography of these regions. A seismic gap exists between these two regions, i.e., in the Chittagong-Sylhet segment. The amount of elastic energy that has been stored in this seismic gap for at least 400 years is likely to slip >6m of the megathrust with a potential earthquake of Mw 8.2+ although it is unknown if the megathrust is seismogenic up to

Development of seasonal flow outlook model for Ganges-Brahmaputra Basins in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hossain, Sazzad; Haque Khan, Raihanul; Gautum, Dilip Kumar; Karmaker, Ripon; Hossain, Amirul

2016-10-01

Bangladesh is crisscrossed by the branches and tributaries of three main river systems, the Ganges, Bramaputra and Meghna (GBM). The temporal variation of water availability of those rivers has an impact on the different water usages such as irrigation, urban water supply, hydropower generation, navigation etc. Thus, seasonal flow outlook can play important role in various aspects of water management. The Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (FFWC) in Bangladesh provides short term and medium term flood forecast, and there is a wide demand from end-users about seasonal flow outlook for agricultural purposes. The objective of this study is to develop a seasonal flow outlook model in Bangladesh based on rainfall forecast. It uses European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) seasonal precipitation, temperature forecast to simulate HYDROMAD hydrological model. Present study is limited for Ganges and Brahmaputra River Basins. ARIMA correction is applied to correct the model error. The performance of the model is evaluated using coefficient of determination (R2) and Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE). The model result shows good performance with R2 value of 0.78 and NSE of 0.61 for the Brahmaputra River Basin, and R2 value of 0.72 and NSE of 0.59 for the Ganges River Basin for the period of May to July 2015. The result of the study indicates strong potential to make seasonal outlook to be operationalized.

Cold-Chain Adaptability During Introduction of Inactivated Polio Vaccine in Bangladesh, 2015.

PubMed

Billah, Mallick M; Zaman, K; Estivariz, Concepcion F; Snider, Cynthia J; Anand, Abhijeet; Hampton, Lee M; Bari, Tajul I A; Russell, Kevin L; Chai, Shua J

2017-07-01

Introduction of inactivated polio vaccine creates challenges in maintaining the cold chain for vaccine storage and distribution. We evaluated the cold chain in 23 health facilities and 36 outreach vaccination sessions in 8 districts and cities of Bangladesh, using purposive sampling during August-October 2015. We interviewed immunization and cold-chain staff, assessed equipment, and recorded temperatures during vaccine storage and transportation. All health facilities had functioning refrigerators, and 96% had freezers. Temperature monitors were observed in all refrigerators and freezers but in only 14 of 66 vaccine transporters (21%). Recorders detected temperatures >8°C for >60 minutes in 5 of 23 refrigerators (22%), 3 of 6 cold boxes (50%) transporting vaccines from national to subnational depots, and 8 of 48 vaccine carriers (17%) used in outreach vaccination sites. Temperatures <2°C were detected in 4 of 19 cold boxes (21%) transporting vaccine from subnational depots to health facilities and 14 of 48 vaccine carriers (29%). Bangladesh has substantial cold-chain storage and transportation capacity after inactivated polio vaccine introduction, but temperature fluctuations during vaccine transport could cause vaccine potency loss that could go undetected. Bangladesh and other countries should strive to ensure consistent and sufficient cold-chain storage and monitor the cold chain during vaccine transportation at all levels. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Application of photocuring technique on wood surface and its prospects in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattcacharia, S. K.; Khan, Mubarak A.

2005-07-01

Photocuring technique has unveiled a new horizon in polymer science. Application of photocuring technique on wood surface has enhanced the use of low grade wood. As Bangladesh is an overpopulated country, necessity of good quality wood is increasing day by day. So low grade wood, like Simul or Partex, locally produced particleboard, would come out with great use. As Partex board, produced from Jute sticks and various types of indigenous low grade wood and particle board are abundant in Bangladesh, so photocuring could play a major role to improve the quality of low grade wood and serve the nation. Already, a lot of research works were carried out by the local scientists to improve the wood surface using UV curing method. Different formulations were also developed by the local scientists using various oligomer, monomer and different types of additives. The used oligomers are epoxy, polyester, urethane, etc. and monomers of different functionalities and used additives are acrylic monomer, CaCO3, sand, MgSiO3, talc, etc. Thin films were prepared on glass plate with different formulations using UV radiation and different characteristics properties (pendulum hardness, abrasion, gloss (60° and 20°), microscratch hardness, weathering effect, adhesion strength, etc.) were studied. Now, a Pilot Plant has already been established with the financial assistance by the government of Bangladesh, worth US 3.5 million.

Arsenic-Safe Aquifers in Coastal Bangladesh: AN Investigation with Ordinary Kriging Estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, M. M.; Ahamed, R.

2017-10-01

Spatial point pattern is one of the most suitable methods for analysing groundwater arsenic concentrations. Groundwater arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh has been one of the biggest environmental health disasters in recent times. About 85 million people are exposed to arsenic more than 50 μg/L in drinking water. The paper seeks to identify the existing suitable aquifers for arsenic-safe drinking water along with "spatial arsenic discontinuity" using GIS-based spatial geostatistical analysis in a small study site (12.69 km2) in the coastal belt of southwest Bangladesh (Dhopakhali union of Bagerhat district). The relevant spatial data were collected with Geographical Positioning Systems (GPS), arsenic data with field testing kits, tubewell attributes with observation and questionnaire survey. Geostatistics with kriging methods can design water quality monitoring in different aquifers with hydrochemical evaluation by spatial mapping. The paper presents the interpolation of the regional estimates of arsenic data for spatial discontinuity mapping with Ordinary Kriging (OK) method that overcomes the areal bias problem for administrative boundary. This paper also demonstrates the suitability of isopleth maps that is easier to read than choropleth maps. The OK method investigated that around 80 percent of the study site are contaminated following the Bangladesh Drinking Water Standards (BDWS) of 50 μg/L. The study identified a very few scattered "pockets" of arsenic-safe zone at the shallow aquifer.

Contamination of drinking-water by arsenic in Bangladesh: a public health emergency.

PubMed Central

Smith, A. H.; Lingas, E. O.; Rahman, M.

2000-01-01

The contamination of groundwater by arsenic in Bangladesh is the largest poisoning of a population in history, with millions of people exposed. This paper describes the history of the discovery of arsenic in drinking-water in Bangladesh and recommends intervention strategies. Tube-wells were installed to provide "pure water" to prevent morbidity and mortality from gastrointestinal disease. The water from the millions of tube-wells that were installed was not tested for arsenic contamination. Studies in other countries where the population has had long-term exposure to arsenic in groundwater indicate that 1 in 10 people who drink water containing 500 micrograms of arsenic per litre may ultimately die from cancers caused by arsenic, including lung, bladder and skin cancers. The rapid allocation of funding and prompt expansion of current interventions to address this contamination should be facilitated. The fundamental intervention is the identification and provision of arsenic-free drinking water. Arsenic is rapidly excreted in urine, and for early or mild cases, no specific treatment is required. Community education and participation are essential to ensure that interventions are successful; these should be coupled with follow-up monitoring to confirm that exposure has ended. Taken together with the discovery of arsenic in groundwater in other countries, the experience in Bangladesh shows that groundwater sources throughout the world that are used for drinking-water should be tested for arsenic. PMID:11019458

Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Canning, David

2017-01-01

Pregnant mothers in Bangladesh are exposed to very high and worsening levels of ambient air pollution. Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter has been associated with low birth weight at much lower levels of exposure, leading us to suspect the potentially large effects of air pollution on stunting in children in Bangladesh. We estimate the relationship between exposure to air pollution in utero and child stunting by pooling outcome data from four waves of the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2004 and 2014, and calculating children’s exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in utero using high resolution satellite data. We find significant increases in the relative risk of child stunting, wasting, and underweight with higher levels of in utero exposure to air pollution, after controlling for other factors that have been found to contribute to child anthropometric failure. We estimate the relative risk of stunting in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure as 1.074 (95% confidence interval: 1.014–1.138), 1.150 (95% confidence interval: 1.069–1.237, and 1.132 (95% confidence interval: 1.031–1.243), respectively. Over half of all children in Bangladesh in our sample were exposed to an annual ambient fine particulate matter level in excess of 46 µg/m3; these children had a relative risk of stunting over 1.13 times that of children in the lowest quartile of exposure. Reducing air pollution in Bangladesh could significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing child stunting. PMID:29295507

Exposure to Ambient Fine Particulate Air Pollution in Utero as a Risk Factor for Child Stunting in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Goyal, Nihit; Canning, David

2017-12-23

Pregnant mothers in Bangladesh are exposed to very high and worsening levels of ambient air pollution. Maternal exposure to fine particulate matter has been associated with low birth weight at much lower levels of exposure, leading us to suspect the potentially large effects of air pollution on stunting in children in Bangladesh. We estimate the relationship between exposure to air pollution in utero and child stunting by pooling outcome data from four waves of the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2004 and 2014, and calculating children's exposure to ambient fine particulate matter in utero using high resolution satellite data. We find significant increases in the relative risk of child stunting, wasting, and underweight with higher levels of in utero exposure to air pollution, after controlling for other factors that have been found to contribute to child anthropometric failure. We estimate the relative risk of stunting in the second, third, and fourth quartiles of exposure as 1.074 (95% confidence interval: 1.014-1.138), 1.150 (95% confidence interval: 1.069-1.237, and 1.132 (95% confidence interval: 1.031-1.243), respectively. Over half of all children in Bangladesh in our sample were exposed to an annual ambient fine particulate matter level in excess of 46 µg/m³; these children had a relative risk of stunting over 1.13 times that of children in the lowest quartile of exposure. Reducing air pollution in Bangladesh could significantly contribute to the Sustainable Development Goal of reducing child stunting.

Multicriteria Decision Analysis of Freshwater Resource Management in Southwestern Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, C.; Baroud, H.; Hornberger, G. M.

2016-12-01

Freshwater resources in coastal Bangladesh fluctuate with extreme periods of shortage and abundance. Bangladeshis have adapted to these alternating periods but are still plagued with scarce drinking water resources due to pond water pathogens, salinity of groundwater, and arsenic contamination. The success of attempts to correct the problem of unsafe drinking water have varied across the southern Bangladesh as a result of physical and social factors. We use a multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) to explore the various physical and social factors that influence decisions about freshwater technologies and management schemes in southern Bangladesh. To determine the best freshwater technologies and management schemes, we examine four alternatives, including managed aquifer recharge (MAR), pond sand filter (PSF), rain water harvesting (RWH), and tubewells (TW). Criteria are grouped into four categories (environmental, technical, social, and economic) and weighting of social factors will be determined by community surveys, non-governmental organizations (NGO) opinions, and academic interviews. Social data include regional water quality perceptions, perceptions of management/technology success, MAR community surveys, and interviews with NGO partners. Environmental and technical feasibility factors are determined from regional water quality data, geospatial information, land use/land change, and regional stratigraphy. Survey data suggest a wide range of criteria based on location and stakeholder perception. MAR and PSF technologies likely have the greatest environmental and technical potential for success but are highly influenced by community dynamics, individual perspective, and NGO involvement. RWH solutions are used frequently and are successful at reducing the water security threats of contamination by pathogens, arsenic, and salts. This MCDA informs us of community and stakeholder water resource decisions, specifically related to their objectives and preferences.

A dynamic econometric model of agricultural wage determination in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Boyce, J K; Ravallion, M

1991-11-01

Economists applied data from 1949-1950 and 1980-1981 to a new dynamic model to examine the dynamics of determinants of agricultural wages in Bangladesh, particularly the effect of changes in relative prices of rice (the staple food) and productivity. Just a 20% rise in the price or rice was passed on in the agricultural wage rate within the current year. About 50% was passed on in the long run, however. Therefore an increase in the price of rice reduced the rice purchasing power of agricultural wages in the short and long term. In fact, the importance given to rice in the long run real wage rate was almost the same as the mean proportion of expenditure that an agricultural laborer in Bangladesh committed to rice and closely related food staples. Thus arise in the price of rice in comparison to other goods had limited effects on the long run real wage in terms of the bundle of goods typically consumed, but very adverse effects in the short run placing a high burden on the rural poor. On the other hand, the long run real wage rate fell considerably between the mid 1960s-early 1980s when overall agricultural productivity increased. The economists pointed out that this increased productivity may not have lowered long run real wage rates, but instead mitigating factors may have contributed to this fall. For example, population growth, rising landlessness, and insufficient economic growth in nonagricultural sectors resulted in a consistent growth in the labor supply. In conclusion, this new dynamic model showed that Bangladesh cannot depend only on agricultural growth to reduce the poverty of farmers.

Spinal cord lesions in Bangladesh: an epidemiological study 1994 - 1995.

PubMed

Hoque, M F; Grangeon, C; Reed, K

1999-12-01

Spinal Cord Lesions are a major public health problem in Bangladesh. This epidemiological study was undertaken in order to identify the causes of spinal cord lesions and thus to allow prevention and control programs to be developed. The records of 247 patients with spinal cord lesions admitted to The Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), Savar, Dhaka from January 1994 to June 1995 were reviewed retrospectively. Comparisons were made with the reports of studies from other countries, both developing and developed. The most common cause of traumatic lesions was a fall from a height followed by falling when carrying a heavy weight on the head and road traffic accidents. Most of the patients were between 20 - 40 years old and the overall age group ranged from 10 - 70 years. The male:female ratio was 7.5 : 1.0. Among the traumatic spinal cord lesions, 60% were paraplegics and 40% tetraplegics. Among the non-traumatic spinal cord lesions cases 84% were paraplegics and 16% tetraplegics. The leading cause of death resulted from respiratory complications and these deaths occurred in the very early period of admission. From the results it can be deduced that the high incidence of spinal cord lesion as a result from falls from a height, and from falling when carrying a heavy weight on the head, can be explained by the mainly agricultural based economy of Bangladesh. The most common age group (10 - 40 years) of patients reflects the socio-economic conditions of Bangladesh. The male:female ratio (7.5 : 1.0) of patients with a spinal cord lesion is due to the socio-economic status and to the traditional culture of the society.

Implementation of information and communication technologies for health in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Tabassum, Reshman

2015-01-01

Abstract Problem Bangladesh has yet to develop a fully integrated health information system infrastructure that is critical to guiding policy development and planning. Approach Initial pilot telemedicine and eHealth programmes were not coordinated at national level. However, in 2011, a national eHealth policy was implemented. Local setting Bangladesh has made substantial improvements to its health system. However, the country still faces public health challenges with limited and inequitable access to health services and lack of adequate resources to meet the demands of the population. Relevant changes In 2008, eHealth services were introduced, including computerization of health facilities at sub-district levels, internet connections, internet servers and an mHealth service for communicating with health-care providers. Health facilities at sub-district levels were provided with internet connections and servers. In 482 upazila health complexes and district hospitals, an mHealth service was set-up where an on-duty doctor is available for patients at all hours to provide consultations by mobile phone. A government operated telemedicine service was initiated and by 2014, 43 fully equipped centres were in service. These centres provide medical consultations by qualified physicians to patients visiting rural and remote community clinics and union health centres. Lessons learnt Despite early pilot interventions and successful implementation, progress in adopting eHealth strategies in Bangladesh has been slow. There is a lack of common standards on information technology for health, which causes difficulties in data management and sharing among different databases. Limited internet bandwidth and the high cost of infrastructure and software development are barriers to adoption of these technologies. PMID:26549909

Women's housing conditions in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shefali, M K

1996-01-01

This news article describes women's housing conditions, housing policy, and pilot programs to house poor women in Bangladesh. Although Bangladesh has a constitution that reinforces the equal status of women, in practice, men dominate and patrilineal customs determine inheritance and property rights. Religious affiliation also determines land tenure and inheritance. Muslim women can inherit 12.5% of their husband's property if there are children. 25% is inherited if wives are without children. Hindu women without sons can inherit their husband's property, but not parental property. Many families refuse to release property to women without a fight. Women, regardless of ownership of land, rarely control or use their land. The custom of requiring men to maintain wives during the marriage, and daughters until marriage, creates obstacles to women's decision making about property. Without collateral and other security women are unable to secure bank loans. Many women are also constrained by the requirement of male consent or guarantees for bank transactions. Banks do not have a gender responsive criteria for selecting loan recipients. The government does not provide sufficient housing to satisfy the growing housing needs due to population growth. Some housing is available from slum landlords. A National Housing Policy was formulated in 1993. Priority would be given to the housing needs of low income women in urban areas and women-headed households with income below the poverty line. The policy does not address the underlying factors that prevent equal access to housing for women. The government prepared a Human Settlement and Urban Development proposal for the Habitat II conference. The plan did not address gender issues. Special efforts are being made by nongovernmental groups to meet the housing needs of professional women and for some disadvantaged women.

Possible impacts of the pre-monsoon dry line and sea breeze front on nocturnal rainfall over northeast Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stiller-Reeve, Mathew; Toniazzo, Thomas; Kolstad, Erik; Spengler, Thomas

2017-04-01

The northeast region of Bangladesh receives a large amount of rainfall before the large-scale monsoon circulation begins. For example, in April (a "pre-monsoon" month) 2010, 804 mm of rain fell in the regional capital Sylhet. It was the second wettest month of the entire year. From our conversations with the local people, we know that this pre-monsoon rainfall is extremely important to their livelihoods. We therefore need to understand it's triggering mechanisms. Several theories have been published, all of which are likely to be at play. However, in this work we look more closely at how the sea breeze front and prominent pre-monsoonal dry line in this region may play a role. If these mechanisms play a role in the convection, then it is likely that they trigger convection further afield, and then the resulting systems then propagate towards northeast Bangladesh. We believe this because rainfall associated with dry line/sea-breeze front convection often occurs during the late afternoon, but the rainfall over northeast Bangladesh shows a clear late-night/early-morning maxima. At present, the temporal and spatial resolution of the regional observations is inappropriate for examining these possible mechanisms. We therefore use a numerical model (WRF) to investigate the possible links between the convection and the sea breeze front and dry line. We use April 2010 as a case study since it was such a wet pre-monsoon month. The simulation shows that a sea breeze circulation often develops during the day in the coastal zone of Bangladesh and northeast India. After sunset the sea breeze front propagates inland pushing back the hot, dry air over India. On several days during the simulation, convection is triggered along the sea breeze front, which then propagates towards northeast Bangladesh and intensifies across the topography surrounding the Sylhet region. From our simulations, it appears that nocturnal convection over northeast Bangladesh is triggered by several

Community readiness for adopting mHealth in rural Bangladesh: A qualitative exploration.

PubMed

Khatun, Fatema; Heywood, Anita E; Ray, Pradeep K; Bhuiya, Abbas; Liaw, Siaw-Teng

2016-09-01

There are increasing numbers of mHealth initiatives in middle and low income countries aimed at improving health outcomes. Bangladesh is no exception with more than 20 mobile health (mHealth) initiatives in place. A recent study in Bangladesh examined community readiness for mHealth using a framework based on quantitative data. Given the importance of a framework and the complementary role of qualitative exploration, this paper presents data from a qualitative study which complements findings from the quantitative study. The study was conducted in the Chakaria sub-district of Bangladesh. In total, 37 in-depth interviews were conducted between December 2012 and March 2013. Participants included the general public, students, community leaders, school teachers, and formal and informal healthcare providers. Thematic analysis was used to develop a logical and relevant framework to examine community readiness. As in the quantitative exploration, this study approached the investigation with four types of readiness in mind: core readiness, technological readiness, human resource readiness and motivational readiness. Community members, community leaders and healthcare providers expressed their interest in the use of mHealth in rural Bangladesh. Awareness of mHealth and its advantages was low among uneducated people. Participants who have used mHealth were attracted to the speed of access to qualified healthcare providers, time savings and low cost. Some participants did not see the value of using mobile phones for healthcare compared to a face-to-face consultation. Illiteracy, lack of English language proficiency, lack of trust and technological incapability were identified as barriers to mHealth use. However, a sense of ownership, evidence of utility, a positive attitude to the use of mHealth, and intentions towards future use of mHealth were driving forces in the adoption of mHealth services. This study re-affirmed the mHealth readiness conceptual framework with different

Morphological and molecular characterization of Eurytrema cladorchis parasitizing cattle (Bos indicus) in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mohanta, Uday Kumar; Ichikawa-Seki, Madoka; Hayashi, Kei; Itagaki, Tadashi

2015-06-01

There is always controversy regarding identification of different species in the genus Eurytrema. Identification has been based mainly on morphology, which can be misleading and subject to differing interpretation among the scientists. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify Eurytrema flukes both by morphology and molecular properties on the basis of 18-subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) gene as well as internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) to clarify their phylogenetic status. Among six different agroecological areas of Bangladesh, 22 Eurytrema flukes were recovered from the bile ducts of 22 cattle in Bandarban, a hill district. The flukes were identified as Eurytrema cladorchis through morphometric and morphological studies. Phylogenetic analyses were conducted by neighbor-joining phylogram inferred from both 18S rRNA (1784 bp) gene and ITS2 (229 bp) sequences. A monophyletic clade was constructed by the E. cladorchis from Bangladesh; however, the clade was distinct from those formed by Eurytrema pancreaticum and Eurytrema coelomaticum. This study first described the existence of E. cladorchis from Bangladesh and may provide useful information for both morphological and molecular properties that may further help to clarify phylogenetic relationships within the genus Eurytrema and also for other digeneans.

Effects of education and other socioeconomic factors on middle age mortality in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Hurt, L S; Ronsmans, C; Saha, S

2004-04-01

To examine socioeconomic gradients in mortality in adult women and their husbands in Bangladesh, paying particular attention to the independent effects of the educational status of each spouse. Historical cohort study. Matlab, a rural area 60 km south east of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. 14803 married women aged 45 or over and their husbands who were resident in the Matlab Demographic Surveillance area between 30 June 1982 and 31 December 1998. Mortality was lower in women with formal or Koranic education compared with those with none (adjusted rate ratio for formal education = 0.68, 95% CI 0.53 to 0.86; adjusted rate ratio for Koranic schooling = 0.82, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.00). After adjusting for her own education, the husband's level of education or occupation did not have an independent effect on a woman's survival. Men who had attended formal education had lower mortality than those without any education (adjusted rate ratio = 0.84, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.93), but men whose wives had been educated had an additional survival advantage independent of their own education and occupation (adjusted rate ratio = 0.76, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.87). Mortality in both sexes was also significantly associated with marital status and the percentage of surviving children, and in men was associated with the man's occupation, religion, area of residence. The data suggest that socioeconomic status has a strong influence on mortality in adults in Bangladesh. They also illustrate how important the continued promotion of education, particularly for women, may be for the survival of both women and men in rural Bangladesh.

Socio-Economic Inequality of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Biswas, Tuhin; Islam, Md. Saimul; Linton, Natalie; Rawal, Lal B.

2016-01-01

Introduction Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a major public health challenge, and undermine social and economic development in much of the developing world, including Bangladesh. Epidemiologic evidence on the socioeconomic status (SES)-related pattern of NCDs remains limited in Bangladesh. This study assessed the relationship between three chronic NCDs and SES among the Bangladeshi population, paying particular attention to the differences between urban and rural areas. Materials and Method Data from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey were used for this study. Using a concentration index (CI), we measured relative inequality across pre-diabetes, diabetes, pre-hypertension, hypertension, and BMI (underweight, normal weight, and overweight/obese) in urban and rural areas in Bangladesh. A CI and its associated curve can be used to identify whether socioeconomic inequality exists for a given health variable. In addition, we estimated the health achievement index, integrating mean coverage and the distribution of coverage by rural and urban populations. Results Socioeconomic inequalities were observed across diseases and risk factors. Using CI, significant inequalities observed for pre-hypertension (CI = 0.09, p = 0.001), hypertension (CI = 0.10, p = 0.001), pre-diabetes (CI = -0.01, p = 0.005), diabetes (CI = 0.19, p<0.001), and overweight/obesity (CI = 0.45, p<0.001). In contrast to the high prevalence of the chronic health conditions among the urban richest, a significant difference in CI was observed for pre-hypertension (CI = -0.20, p = 0.001), hypertension (CI = -0.20, p = 0.005), pre-diabetes (CI = -0.15, p = 0.005), diabetes (CI = -0.26, p = 0.004) and overweight/obesity (CI = 0.25, p = 0.004) were observed more among the low wealth quintiles of rural population. In the same vein, the poorest rural households had more co-morbidities compared to the richest rural households (p = 0.003), and prevalence of co-morbidities was much higher

The mother and child in Bangladesh. A view from the People's Health Centre (Gonoshasthaya Kendra).

PubMed

Chowdhury, Z

1976-01-01

2 stories of children in misery in Bangladesh are recounted, and the Gonoshasthaya Kendra project begun in January 1972 is described. In 1972 it was found in Bangladesh that 3.8 million children under 10-years-old suffer from malnutrition, and 26% of all children die before age 5 from diarrhea, whooping cough, measles, diptheria, smallpox, and malnutriation. In rural Bangladesh the ratio is 30,000 people to 1 doctor, but a well-trained paramedic can meet rural needs. The Gonoshasthaya Kendra project is a cooperative health program integrating itself with a rural development program. 1st paramedics are trained, and the village midwife is trained and returned to the village. An insurance scheme costs patients 2 taka (14 U.S. cents) per month for the entire family and includes visits and medicine. A corps of village-recruited, paraprofessional agriculture development workers is being developed, and efforts are being made to increase and improve the food supply. A woman's vocational program has been developed to provide women with economic independence.

Livelihood Cycle and Vulnerability of Rural Households to Climate Change and Hazards in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Alam, G M Monirul

2017-05-01

Rural riverine households in Bangladesh are confronted with many climate-driven hazards, including riverbank erosion, which results in loss of productive land and other natural resources of the riverine households, and thus threatens their livelihoods and food security. This study assesses the main drivers of vulnerability and livelihood cycle of vulnerable riparian households in Bangladesh. The study utilises the IPCC framework of vulnerability and develops a weighted approach by employing the livelihood vulnerability index and the climate vulnerability index. The results reveal that the livelihood vulnerability index and the climate vulnerability index differ across locations, however, a high index value for both measures indicates the households' high livelihood vulnerability to climate change and hazards. The main drivers that influence the vulnerability dimensions are livelihood strategies and access to food, water and health facilities. These hazard-prone households are also vulnerable due to their existing low livelihood status that leads to a vicious cycle of poverty. The findings of this study are crucial for policymakers to formulate and implement effective strategies and programs to minimise vulnerability and to enhance the local adaptation processes in order to improve such households' livelihood across Bangladesh.

Livelihood Cycle and Vulnerability of Rural Households to Climate Change and Hazards in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, G. M. Monirul

2017-05-01

Rural riverine households in Bangladesh are confronted with many climate-driven hazards, including riverbank erosion, which results in loss of productive land and other natural resources of the riverine households, and thus threatens their livelihoods and food security. This study assesses the main drivers of vulnerability and livelihood cycle of vulnerable riparian households in Bangladesh. The study utilises the IPCC framework of vulnerability and develops a weighted approach by employing the livelihood vulnerability index and the climate vulnerability index. The results reveal that the livelihood vulnerability index and the climate vulnerability index differ across locations, however, a high index value for both measures indicates the households' high livelihood vulnerability to climate change and hazards. The main drivers that influence the vulnerability dimensions are livelihood strategies and access to food, water and health facilities. These hazard-prone households are also vulnerable due to their existing low livelihood status that leads to a vicious cycle of poverty. The findings of this study are crucial for policymakers to formulate and implement effective strategies and programs to minimise vulnerability and to enhance the local adaptation processes in order to improve such households' livelihood across Bangladesh.

Transglossic Language Practices of Young Adults in Bangladesh and Mongolia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sultana, Shaila; Dovchin, Sender; Pennycook, Alastair

2015-01-01

The paper explores the use of varied semiotic resources in the linguistic, social and cultural practices of young adults in the context of Bangladesh and Mongolia. Based on a translinguistic analysis (including pre-textual history, contextual relations, sub-textual meaning, intertextual echoes and post-textual interpretation) of these practices,…

Literacy Programs and Non-Formal Education of Bangladesh and India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Mohammad Saidur; Yasmin, Farzana; Begum, Monzil Ara; Ara, Jesmin; Nath, Tapan Kumar

2010-01-01

In both Bangladesh and India expand non-formal education (NFE) programs for unenrolled and drop-out children and adults (8-45 year cohort) for ensure comparable standard with the primary curriculum, establish equivalency of NFE with primary education and overall competency, raise qualification and training level of teachers for effective delivery…

Bangladesh. National Studies. Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Principal Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

This study examines the work of the Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL) since its 1987 inception. Efforts to assess educational achievement at the local, regional, and national levels in Bangladesh are examined with a view to achieving universal primary education; eradicating illiteracy; and providing continuing education in…

Social marketing of contraceptives in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Schellstede, W P; Ciszewski, R L

1984-01-01

Since 1975 there has been a family planning program operating in Bangladesh which advertises and commercially distributes contraceptive products in both rural and urban areas throughout the country. The program, known as the Social Marketing Project (SMP) and managed by Population Services International (PSI), now serves almost 1 million acceptors per month at an annual cost per couple of less than US$6.50, including the cost of donated contraceptives. This paper looks at the evolution of the project and its growth through the years, and addresses some primary concerns of planners of social marketing programs.

Marriage and its transition in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Ahmed, A U

1986-01-01

The author examines developments in marriage patterns in Bangladesh in light of social, cultural, and economic conditions. Previous literature on the subject is used to discuss Muslim marriage, Hindu marriage, child marriage, mate selection and social mobility, and the question of a marriage squeeze. "The analysis presents evidence that the society is experiencing a change in its family formation, mating process and family type. This transition is to some extent towards the characteristics of [the] Western World, but in a poor economy. Part of this transition is due to the effect of modernization and part due to increasing poverty." excerpt

Melioidosis in a patient from Bangladesh.

PubMed

Kibbler, C C; Roberts, C M; Ridgway, G L; Spiro, S G

1991-08-01

A 54 year old Bangladeshi man presented with a history and chest X-ray appearances suggestive of pulmonary tuberculosis. Following deterioration 4 weeks later, he required ventilation. Although a blood culture isolate was subsequently found to be Pseudomonas pseudomallei, it was initially misidentified and dismissed as a contaminant. Further cultures demonstrated the organism, but the patient died, despite treatment with ceftazidime. The case illustrates the importance of taking a detailed travel history and having a high index of suspicion in patients from South East Asia and the Indian sub-continent, including Bangladesh, where the disease has not previously been considered endemic.

Phylogenetic analysis of Newcastle disease viruses from Bangladesh suggests continuing evolution of genotype XIII.

PubMed

Barman, Lalita Rani; Nooruzzaman, Mohammed; Sarker, Rahul Deb; Rahman, Md Tazinur; Saife, Md Rajib Bin; Giasuddin, Mohammad; Das, Bidhan Chandra; Das, Priya Mohan; Chowdhury, Emdadul Haque; Islam, Mohammad Rafiqul

2017-10-01

A total of 23 Newcastle disease virus (NDV) isolates from Bangladesh taken between 2010 and 2012 were characterized on the basis of partial F gene sequences. All the isolates belonged to genotype XIII of class II NDV but segregated into three sub-clusters. One sub-cluster with 17 isolates aligned with sub-genotype XIIIc. The other two sub-clusters were phylogenetically distinct from the previously described sub-genotypes XIIIa, XIIIb and XIIIc and could be candidates of new sub-genotypes; however, that needs to be validated through full-length F gene sequence data. The results of the present study suggest that genotype XIII NDVs are under continuing evolution in Bangladesh.

Trend in the affordability of tobacco products in Bangladesh: findings from the ITC Bangladesh Surveys.

PubMed

Nargis, Nigar; Stoklosa, Michal; Drope, Jeffrey; Fong, Geoffrey T; Quah, Anne C K; Driezen, Pete; Shang, Ce; Chaloupka, Frank J; Hussain, A K M Ghulam

2018-04-19

The price of tobacco products in relation to the income of tobacco users-affordability-is recognised as a key determinant of tobacco use behaviour. The effectiveness of a price increase as a deterrent to tobacco use depends on how much price increases in relation to the income of the potential users. The aim of this paper is to examine the distribution of and trends in the affordability of tobacco products in Bangladesh. Using four waves of International Tobacco Control Survey data on Bangladesh, this study measures affordability of tobacco products at the individual level as the ratio of self-reported price and self-reported income. The trends in affordability by brand categories of cigarettes and of bidi and smokeless tobacco are estimated using multivariate linear regression analysis. Despite significant increase in price, the affordability of cigarettes increased between 2009 and 2014-2015 due to income growth outpacing price increase. The increase was disproportionately larger for more expensive brands. The affordability of bidis increased over this period as well. The affordability of smokeless tobacco products remained unchanged between 2011-2012 and 2014-2015. The tax increases that were implemented during 2009-2015 were not enough to increase tobacco product prices sufficiently to outweigh the effect of income growth, and to reduce tobacco consumption. The findings from this research inform policymakers that in countries experiencing rapid economic growth, significant tax increases are needed to counteract the effect of income growth, in order for the tax increases to be effective in reducing tobacco use. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Influences of selected socioeconomic and demographic variables on fertility in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Islam, S M; Khan, H T

1995-06-01

"The data used in this study are from the 1989 Bangladesh Fertility Survey (1989 BFS), which was conducted...by the National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT)....A two-stage probability sample design was used for the survey.... It has been found that female age at marriage has a significant direct negative influence on fertility. Thus, raising the age at marriage by implementing a minimum-age marriage law is likely to lower fertility on a national scale. Duration of breast-feeding is also found to have a significant direct negative effect on fertility....Fetal loss appears to have a significant direct positive effect on fertility...which means that mothers who have experienced fetal loss are found to have higher fertility.... Maternal mortality is also high in Bangladesh. Therefore, it is essential to provide primary health care, particularly maternal and child health care, for surviving children." excerpt

Validating the Measurement of Social Capital in Bangladesh: A Cognitive Approach

PubMed Central

Story, William T.; Taleb, Fahmida; Ahasan, S.M. Monirul; Ali, Nabeel A.

2015-01-01

Despite the growing evidence linking social capital to improvements in health and health behaviors, reliable measures of social capital are lacking in low-income countries. To accurately measure social capital in new contexts, there is a need to validate social capital survey questions in each new cultural setting. In this article we examine the content validity of the measurement of social capital in Bangladesh using qualitative methods. In December 2012, we conducted four focus group discussions and 32 cognitive interviews in one rural subdistrict (Durgapur) and one urban slum (Mirpur). We used the findings from the focus groups and cognitive interviews to create a new social capital survey instrument that can be used by health and development organizations in Bangladesh. Furthermore, in this article we provide insight into social capital survey research in general, including suggestions for the measurement of group membership, social support, collective action, and social trust. PMID:25857652

Spousal Violence in Bangladesh: A Call for a Public-health Response

PubMed Central

Johnston, Heidi Bart; Naved, Ruchira Tabassum

2008-01-01

Spousal violence against women is a serious public-health issue. Although there is a growing body of literature on this subject, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the prevalence of this violence, the risk factors, the consequences, and how to address the issue. The purpose of this literature review is to organize and synthesize the empirical evidence on spousal violence against women in Bangladesh and to provide direction for both researchers and practitioners for future work in this area. The review suggests that spousal violence against women is high in Bangladesh. The list of correlates is long and inconclusive. Although there is evidence on adverse consequences of this violence on health of women and their children, more research is needed to explore the multifaceted consequences of violence for women, children, families, and communities. Action research is needed to develop and test preventive and curative interventions. PMID:18831231

Nutrition: Basis for Healthy Children and Mothers in Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Faruque, A.S.G.; Ahmed, A.M. Shamsir; Ahmed, Tahmeed; Islam, M. Munirul; Hossain, Md. Iqbal; Roy, S.K.; Alam, Nurul; Kabir, Iqbal; Sack, David A.

2008-01-01

Recent data from the World Health Organization showed that about 60% of all deaths, occurring among children aged less than five years (under-five children) in developing countries, could be attributed to malnutrition. It has been estimated that nearly 50.6 million under-five children are malnourished, and almost 90% of these children are from developing countries. Bangladesh is one of the countries with the highest rate of malnutrition. The recent baseline survey by the National Nutrition Programme (NNP) showed high rates of stunting, underweight, and wasting. However, data from the nutrition surveillance at the ICDDR, B hospital showed that the proportion of children with stunting, underweight, and wasting has actually reduced during 1984–2005. Inappropriate infant and young child-feeding practices (breastfeeding and complementary feeding) have been identified as a major cause of malnutrition. In Bangladesh, although the median duration of breastfeeding is about 30 months, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding until the first six months of life is low, and practice of appropriate complementary feeding is not satisfactory. Different surveys done by the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and Bangladesh Breastfeeding Foundation (BBF) showed a rate of exclusive breastfeeding to be around 32-52%, which have actually remained same or declined over time. The NNP baseline survey using a strict definition of exclusive breastfeeding showed a rate of exclusive breastfeeding (12.8%) until six months of age. Another study from the Abhoynagar field site of ICDDR, B reported the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding to be 15% only. Considerable efforts have been made to improve the rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Nationally, initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth, feeding colostrum, and exclusive breastfeeding have been promoted through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) implemented and supported by BBF

A study of Bangladesh's sub-surface water storages using satellite products and data assimilation scheme.

PubMed

Khaki, M; Forootan, E; Kuhn, M; Awange, J; Papa, F; Shum, C K

2018-06-01

Climate change can significantly influence terrestrial water changes around the world particularly in places that have been proven to be more vulnerable such as Bangladesh. In the past few decades, climate impacts, together with those of excessive human water use have changed the country's water availability structure. In this study, we use multi-mission remotely sensed measurements along with a hydrological model to separately analyze groundwater and soil moisture variations for the period 2003-2013, and their interactions with rainfall in Bangladesh. To improve the model's estimates of water storages, terrestrial water storage (TWS) data obtained from the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission are assimilated into the World-Wide Water Resources Assessment (W3RA) model using the ensemble-based sequential technique of the Square Root Analysis (SQRA) filter. We investigate the capability of the data assimilation approach to use a non-regional hydrological model for a regional case study. Based on these estimates, we investigate relationships between the model derived sub-surface water storage changes and remotely sensed precipitations, as well as altimetry-derived river level variations in Bangladesh by applying the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. A larger correlation is found between river level heights and rainfalls (78% on average) in comparison to groundwater storage variations and rainfalls (57% on average). The results indicate a significant decline in groundwater storage (∼32% reduction) for Bangladesh between 2003 and 2013, which is equivalent to an average rate of 8.73 ± 2.45mm/year. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Smokeless tobacco product prices and taxation in Bangladesh: findings from the International Tobacco Control Survey.

PubMed

Nargis, N; Hussain, A K M G; Fong, G T

2014-12-01

Smokeless tobacco use occupies a significant portion of overall tobacco consumption in Bangladesh. Yet very little is known about the effectiveness of tax and price policy in controlling the use of smokeless tobacco use in the country. The paper examines the price distribution of various smoked (cigarette, bidi) and smokeless tobacco products (zarda, gul) using the univariate Epanechnikov kernel density function. It estimates the own and cross price elasticity of demand for the most widely used smokeless tobacco product zarda using two-step regression analysis. The analysis is based on data from the ITC Bangladesh Wave 3 Survey which is a nationally representative cohort survey of tobacco users and nonusers conducted in in Bangladesh during 2011-12. The price elasticity of lower price brands of zarda is estimated at -0.64 and of higher priced brands at -0.39, and the cross price elasticity of zarda with respect to cigarette price at 0.35. The tax increase on smokeless tobacco needs to be greater than the tax increase on smoked tobacco to bridge the wide price differential between the two types of products that currently encourages downward substitution from smoked to smokeless tobacco and discourages quitting behavior. This paper argues that increasing tax on smokeless tobacco simultaneously with the tax increase on smoked tobacco can have significant negative impact on the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in Bangladesh. Finally, a specific excise system replacing the existing ad valorem excise tax can substantially contribute to the revenue collection performance from smokeless tobacco products.

Patterns and predictors of smokeless tobacco use among adults in Bangladesh: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Bangladesh survey.

PubMed

Abdullah, Abu S; Driezen, Pete; Ruthbah, Ummul H; Nargis, Nigar; Quah, Anne C K; Fong, Geoffrey T

2014-01-01

Although smokeless tobacco (SLT) use is prevalent in South Asian countries including Bangladesh, information about the pattern and correlates of SLT use is scarce. This study described the pattern and predictors of SLT use among Bangladeshi adults. The data for this study were derived from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Bangladesh (ITC BD) Survey, a prospective cohort survey of a nationally representative sample of smokers and non-smokers, conducted during November 2011 and May 2012. The study included 5522 adults aged 15 or above. We used multiple logistic regression models to identify predictors of SLT use. Of the respondents (N = 5522), 20% were SLT users. In general, SLT use was significantly higher among women, the illiterate and residents of the Dhaka slums or non-tribal/non-border areas outside Dhaka; SLT use increased with age. Several attitudinal factors were also associated with SLT use. Multivariable logistic regression analyses revealed several predictors of SLT use: being female (OR = 1.96, 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.18-3.24), an increasing age, being a resident of a Dhaka slum (OR = 5.86; 95% CI: 3.73-9.21) or non-tribal/non-border areas outside Dhaka (OR = 3.42; 95% CI: 1.94-6.03), being illiterate (OR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.99-5.71), holding positive opinion towards societal approval of SLT use (OR = 5.84; 95% CI: 3.38-10.09), holding positive opinion towards SLT use by women (OR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.53-4.54), believing that SLT is addictive (OR = 2.96; 95% CI: 1.51-5.81), and believing SLT is less harmful than bidi (OR = 2.22; 95% CI: 1.36-3.62). The findings suggest that coordinated efforts of governmental and non-governmental organizations, targeting both smoked tobacco and SLT use reduction and cessation, could be modified to reach each level of population including those who are marginalized, female, less educated and elderly. As most tobacco control programs in Bangladesh target mainly

Groundwater-soil-crop relationship with respect to arsenic contamination in farming villages of Bangladesh--a preliminary study.

PubMed

Kurosawa, Kiyoshi; Egashira, Kazuhiko; Tani, Masakazu; Jahiruddin, M; Moslehuddin, Abu Zofar Md; Rahman, Zulfikar Md

2008-11-01

To clarify the groundwater-soil-crop relationship with respect to arsenic (As) contamination, As concentration was measured in tubewell (TW) water, surface soil from farmyards and paddy fields, and fresh taro (Colocasia esculenta) leaves from farmyards in the farming villages of Bangladesh. The As concentration in TW water from farmyards was at least four times higher than the Bangladesh drinking water standard, and the concentration in fresh taro leaves was equal to or higher than those reported previously for leafy vegetables in Bangladesh. As concentration of surface soils in both farmyards and paddy fields was positively correlated with that of the TW water. Further, the concentration in surface soil was positively correlated with levels in fresh taro leaves in the farmyard. This study, therefore, clarified the groundwater-soil-crop relationship in farmyards and the relationship between groundwater-soil in paddy fields to assess the extent of As contamination in Bangladeshi villages.

Exploring the relationship between women's work and fertility: the Bangladesh context.

PubMed

Mahmud, S

1988-12-01

In Bangladesh, research is being done on the relationship between women's work and fertility. It is believed that one of the leading factors in the high fertility of women in Bangladesh is their total dependence on men for economic support. This is further evidenced by women's low status in society, home, and in areas of health care, nutrition, education, employment, leisure, etc. A survey revealed that when women did work outside the home, they had on average 3 children, versus 4 children for women that never worked. This has not been true in all societies, as documented in Western industrialized countries. Factors that may affect these trends include the availability of child care, the need of children for support in times of crisis, and sickness or death of the household head. A negative relationship between employment and fertility was more prevalent in wife-dominant and egalitarian couples than male-dominated ones. Other factors such as the number of some, marriage duration, education, and family makeup could effect the desire for additional children more than the work status of the wife. Among illiterate women of Bangladesh, the use of birth control was 50% higher for those who worked before marriage and continued than for those who worked at some time. Working women have access to more sources of knowledge and communication with other women, that may effect their attitudes on delayed marriage and marriage disruption. In addition access to public health facilities and other commercial market places makes them less dependent on male family members.

Distribution and Determinants of Out-of-pocket Healthcare Expenditures in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Sultana, Marufa; Islam, Ziaul; Khan, Jahangir; Morton, Alec

2017-03-01

As in many low-income and middle-income countries, out-of-pocket (OOP) payments by patients or their families are a key healthcare financing mechanism in Bangladesh that leads to economic burdens for households. The objective of this study was to identify whether and to what extent socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral factors of the population had an impact on OOP expenditures in Bangladesh. A total of 12 400 patients who had paid to receive any type of healthcare services within the previous 30 days were analyzed from the Bangladesh Household Income and Expenditure Survey data, 2010. We employed regression analysis for identify factors influencing OOP health expenditures using the ordinary least square method. The mean total OOP healthcare expenditures was US dollar (USD) 27.66; while, the cost of medicines (USD 16.98) was the highest cost driver (61% of total OOP healthcare expenditure). In addition, this study identified age, sex, marital status, place of residence, and family wealth as significant factors associated with higher OOP healthcare expenditures. In contrary, unemployment and not receiving financial social benefits were inversely associated with OOP expenditures. The findings of this study can help decision-makers by clarifying the determinants of OOP, discussing the mechanisms driving these determinants, and there by underscoring the need to develop policy options for building stronger financial protection mechanisms. The government should consider devoting more resources to providing free or subsidized care. In parallel with government action, the development of other prudential and sustainable risk-pooling mechanisms may help attract enthusiastic subscribers to community-based health insurance schemes.

Expenditure and loss of income incurred by tuberculosis patients before reaching effective treatment in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Croft, R A; Croft, R P

1998-03-01

This small study undertook to assess the economic consequences of developing tuberculosis (TB) among patients presenting to the TB clinic run by the Danish Bangladesh Leprosy Mission in NW Bangladesh. The loss of income resulting from the illness, and the actual expenditure incurred by medicines and doctor's fees before registration for treatment, were estimated and totalled for 21 patients serially registered at the clinic. The results showed a mean financial loss to the patient of US$ 245-an exorbitant sum for a village Bangladeshi. Perhaps economic deprivation suffered by TB patients could be used as a measure of success of the programme.

Private University Librarian's Experience on Procurement of Books in Bangladesh

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chowdhury, Muhammad Hossam Haider

2011-01-01

The private universities in Bangladesh are playing an important role in modernizing the higher education system in the country and the role of librarians is also different and challenging. Specially, procuring books and monographs is an exigent function being this lost its demand very quickly. In some cases, titles bear only one semester…

Recent changes in marriage patterns in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shaikh, K

1997-09-01

"This article considers age at marriage and other aspects of nuptiality in Bangladesh in the context of opportunities to accelerate national development. It suggests that concerted efforts to increase the female age at marriage could produce a number of beneficial effects ranging from reduction in the incidence of divorce and widowhood to a lowering of fertility. It suggests a number of policy and programme measures that could be employed to foster such an increase." excerpt

Investigating the role of health care at birth on inequalities in neonatal survival: evidence from Bangladesh

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction In countries such as Bangladesh many women may only seek skilled care at birth when complications become evident. This often results in higher neonatal mortality for women who give birth in institutions than for those that give birth at home. However, we hypothesise that this apparent excess mortality is concentrated among less advantaged women. The aim of this paper is to examine the association between place of birth and neonatal mortality in Bangladesh, and how this varies by socio-economic status. Methodology The study is based on pooled data from four Bangladesh Demographic and Household Surveys, and uses descriptive analysis and binomial multivariate logistic regression. It uses regression models stratified for place of delivery to examine the impact of socio-economic status and place of residence on neonatal mortality. Results Poor women from rural areas and those with no education who gave birth in institutions had much worse outcomes than those who gave birth at home. There is no difference for more wealthy women. There is a much stronger socio-economic gradient in neonatal mortality for women who gave birth in institutions than those who delivered at home. Conclusion In Bangladesh babies from lower socio-economic groups and particularly those in rural areas have very poor outcomes if born in a facility. This suggests poorer, rural and less educated women are failing to obtain the timely access to quality maternal health care services needed to improve newborn outcomes. PMID:23496964

Rural Education in Bangladesh - Problems and Prospects. IIEP Seminar Paper: 23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haque, M.

As a land of extreme rural poverty and illiteracy, Bangladesh needs to consciously promote, develop, and support local institutions and participatory leadership, involving local people in the planning, development, and implementation of developmental policies. Begun in 1959, the Comilla experiment constitutes the rationale for institutional…

Relationship of homestead food production with night blindness among children below 5 years of age in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Campbell, Ashley A; Akhter, Nasima; Sun, Kai; de Pee, Saskia; Kraemer, Klaus; Moench-Pfanner, Regina; Rah, Jee H; Badham, Jane; Bloem, Martin W; Semba, Richard D

2011-09-01

To examine the relationship between homestead food production and night blindness among pre-school children in rural Bangladesh in the presence of a national vitamin A supplementation programme. A cross-sectional study. A population-based sample of six rural divisions of Bangladesh assessed in the Bangladesh Nutrition Surveillance Project 2001-2005. A total of 158 898 children aged 12-59 months. The prevalence rates of night blindness in children among those who did and did not receive vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months were 0·07 % and 0·13 %, respectively. Given the known effect of vitamin A supplementation on night blindness, the analysis was stratified by children's receipt of vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months. Among children who did not receive vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months, the lack of a home garden was associated with increased odds of night blindness (OR = 3·16, 95 % CI 1·76, 5·68; P = 0·0001). Among children who received vitamin A capsules in the last 6 months, the lack of a home garden was not associated with night blindness (OR = 1·28, 95 % CI 0·71, 2·31; P = 0·4). Homestead food production confers a protective effect against night blindness among pre-school children who missed vitamin A supplementation in rural Bangladesh.

Women's experiences with medication for menstrual regulation in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Marlow, Heather M; Biswas, Kamal; Griffin, Risa; Menzel, Jamie

2016-01-01

Menstrual regulation has been legal in Bangladesh since 1974, but the use of medication for menstrual regulation is new. In this study, we sought to understand women's experiences using medication for menstrual regulation in Bangladesh. We conducted 20 in-depth interviews with rural and urban women between December 2013 and February 2014. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed, translated, computer recorded and coded for analysis. The majority of women in our study had had positive experiences with medication for menstrual regulation and successful outcomes, regardless of whether they obtained their medication from medicine sellers/pharmacies, doctors or clinics. Women were strongly influenced by health providers when deciding which method to use. There is a need to educate not only women of reproductive age, but also communities as a whole, about medication for menstrual regulation, with a particular emphasis on cost and branding the medication. Continued efforts to improve counselling by providers about the dose, medication and side-effects of medication for menstrual regulation, along with education of the community about medication as an option for menstrual regulation, will help to de-stigmatise the procedure and the women who seek it.

Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) Trends Over Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salam, A.

2016-12-01

An important omission in the Southeast Asian observing network is the border region with the Indian subcontinent. Significant amounts of pollution are generated and transported down the Indo-Gangenic Plain into the Bay of Bengal. High population density in a semi-arid region leads to the development of a complex mixture of absorbing pollution coupled with dust. Transport patterns of this mixture takes pollutants into Bangladesh, where more pollution is added to the atmosphere-leading to what is one of the highest non urban emission loading in the world (AOD500= 0.75 during the premonsoon season). Bangladesh is essentially a riverine country, and atmospheric outflow is over delta regions fed by over 500 rivers, including the Ganges, Bramaputra, Jamuna, and Padma systems forming the massive Meghna river. This combination of atmospheric and riverine components makes for an optically complex littoral region which challenges a host of environmental sensors and modeling systems. Data is needed to understand the sources, transport and optical characteristics of aerosol particles in the region. Dhaka (23.8103° N, 90.4125° E) is the capital of Bangladesh with a population of about 16 million. It has been growing rapidly with all the problem of a mega city. We have installed a sun photometer with NASA Aeronet project at the roof of the Chemistry Department, Dhaka University with other aerosol particles and gas measuring instruments. Bhola is an Island of the Bay of Bengal. It is surrounded by the Meghna River on the north and east, the Tatulia River on the west and the Bay of Bengal on the south. The observatory is located at Charfashion Bazar, Bhola (N 22o10´01″, E 90o45´00″, 3m asl). There is very little influence from traffic and industrial emissions. A Cimel sunphotometer (NASA AERONET) was installed for AOD measurements at this locations since 2013. Aerosol optical depth (AOD) trends between 2012 and 2016 at two different locations (Dhaka and Bhola) will be

Using Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Data to Analyze the Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Dry Season Rice Production in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shew, A. M.; Ghosh, A.

2017-10-01

Remote sensing in the optical domain is widely used in agricultural monitoring; however, such initiatives pose a challenge for developing countries due to a lack of high quality in situ information. Our proposed methodology could help developing countries bridge this gap by demonstrating the potential to quantify patterns of dry season rice production in Bangladesh. To analyze approximately 90,000 km2 of cultivated land in Bangladesh at 30 m spatial resolution, we used two decades of remote sensing data from the Landsat archive and Google Earth Engine (GEE), a cloud-based geospatial data analysis platform built on Google infrastructure and capable of processing petabyte-scale remote sensing data. We reconstructed the seasonal patterns of vegetation indices (VIs) for each pixel using a harmonic time series (HTS) model, which minimizes the effects of missing observations and noise. Next, we combined the seasonality information of VIs with our knowledge of rice cultivation systems in Bangladesh to delineate rice areas in the dry season, which are predominantly hybrid and High Yielding Varieties (HYV). Based on historical Landsat imagery, the harmonic time series of vegetation indices (HTS-VIs) model estimated 4.605 million ha, 3.519 million ha, and 4.021 million ha of rice production for Bangladesh in 2005, 2010, and 2015 respectively. Fine spatial scale information on HYV rice over the last 20 years will greatly improve our understanding of double-cropped rice systems, current status of production, and potential for HYV rice adoption in Bangladesh during the dry season.

An integrated approach to improving rural livelihoods: examples from India and Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croke, Barry; Merritt, Wendy; Cornish, Peter; Syme, Geoffrey J.; Roth, Christian H.

2018-02-01

This paper presents an overview of work in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh and SW Bangladesh through a series of projects from 2005 to the present, considering the impact of farming systems, water shed development and/or agricultural intensification on livelihoods in selected rural areas of India and Bangladesh. The projects spanned a range of scales spanning from the village scale (˜ 1 km2) to the meso-scale (˜ 100 km2), and considered social as well as biophysical aspects. They focused mainly on the food and water part of the food-water-energy nexus. These projects were in collaboration with a range of organisations in India and Bangladesh, including NGOs, universities, and government research organisations and departments. The projects were part funded by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, and built on other projects that have been undertaken within the region. An element of each of these projects was to understand how the hydrological cycle could be managed sustainably to improve agricultural systems and livelihoods of marginal groups. As such, they evaluated appropriate technology that is generally not dependent on high-energy inputs (mechanisation). This includes assessing the availability of water, and identifying potential water resources that have not been developed; understanding current agricultural systems and investigating ways of improving water use efficiency; and understanding social dynamics of the affected communities including the potential opportunities and negative impacts of watershed development and agricultural development.

Bangladesh Delta: Assessment of the Causes of Sea-level Rise Hazards and Integrated Development of Predictive Modeling Towards Mitigation and Adaptation (BanD-AID)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kusche, J.; Shum, C. K.; Jenkins, C. J.; Chen, J.; Guo, J.; Hossain, F.; Braun, B.; Calmant, S.; Ballu, V.; Papa, F.; Kuhn, M.; Ahmed, R.; Khan, Z. H.; Hossain, M.; Bernzen, A.; Dai, C.; Jia, Y.; Krien, Y.; Kuo, C. Y.; Liibusk, A.; Shang, K.; Testut, L.; Tseng, K. H.; Uebbing, B.; Rietbroek, R.; Valty, P.; Wan, J.

2016-12-01

As a low-lying and the largest coastal deltaic region in the world, Bangladesh already faces tremendous vulnerability. Accelerated sea-level rise, along with tectonic, sediment load and groundwater extraction induced land uplift/subsidence, have exacerbated Bangladesh's coastal vulnerability. Climate change has further intensified these risks with increasing temperatures, greater rainfall volatility, and increased incidence of intensified cyclones, in addition to its seasonal transboundary monsoonal flooding. Our Belmont Forum/IGFA G8 project BanD-AiD, http://Belmont-BanDAiD.org, or http://Blemont-SeaLevel.org, comprises of an international cross-disciplinary team including stakeholders in Bangladesh, aims at a joint assessment of the physical and social science knowledge of the physical and social dynamics which govern coastal vulnerability and societal resilience in Bangladesh. We have built a prototype observational system, following the Belmont Challenge identified Earth System Analysis & Prediction System (ESAPS) for the Bangladesh Delta, to achieve the physical science objectives of the project. The prototype observational system is exportable to other regions of the world. We studied the physical causes of relative sea-level rise in coastal Bangladesh, with the goal to separate and quantify land subsidence and geocentric sea-level rise signals at adequate spatial scales using contemporary space geodetic and remote sensing data. We used a social and natural science integrative approach to investigate the various social and economic drivers behind land use change, population increase migration and community resilience to understand the social dynamics of this complex region and to forecast likely and alternative scenarios for maintaining the societal resilience of this vital region which currently houses a quarter of Bangladesh's 160 million people.

Bangladesh making remarkable progress in population field.

PubMed

1998-01-01

This article describes the progress made in reducing fertility in Bangladesh, and government goals for meeting future challenges. Fertility declined from 7.0 to 3.3 children/woman during 1975-96. Contraceptive prevalence increased from 3% to about 50% during 1971-96. Population in 1997, was about 123 million. Population is expected to increase to about 210 million by the year 2020. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries. About 50% of the female population are unmarried and aged under 20 years. Adolescent fertility is very high at 171 births/1000 girls aged 15-19 years. About 30% of adolescents are mothers, and another 6% are pregnant with their first child. Female age at marriage increased to 18 years. The contraceptive prevalence rate among adolescents is only 25%. 20% of total population live in urban areas. Infant, child, and maternal mortality rates are still high. The long-term goal of the government is to reduce fertility to a 2-child family norm by 2002. The plan of action focuses on improved quality of care, intensifying program efforts in low performing areas, focusing on critical underserved groups, implementing family planning services in the Health Directorate, improving performance reporting and follow-up, strengthening IEC and community mobilization, carrying out critical training, enhancing collaboration between governmental and nongovernmental groups, and improving maternal, child, and reproductive health. A National Committee for the Implementation of the aforementioned Program of Action of the ICPD was set up in October 1994.

Integrated socio-environmental modelling: A test case in coastal Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazar, Attila

2013-04-01

Delta regions are vulnerable with their populations and ecosystems facing multiple threats in the coming decades through extremes of poverty, environmental and ecological stress and land degradation. External and internal processes initiate these threats/changes and results in for example water quality and health risk issues, declining agricultural productivity and sediment starvation all of which directly affecting the local population. The ESPA funded "Assessing Health, Livelihoods, Ecosystem Services and Poverty Alleviation In Populous Deltas" project (2012-16) aims to provide policy makers with the knowledge and tools to enable them to evaluate the effects of policy decisions on people's livelihoods. It considers coastal Bangladesh in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna Delta: one of the world's most dynamic and significant deltas. This is being done by a multidisciplinary and multinational team of policy analysts, social and natural scientists and engineers using a participatory, holistic approach to formally evaluate ecosystem services and poverty in the context of the wide range of changes that are occurring. An integrated model with relevant feedbacks is being developed to explore options for management strategies and policy formulation for ecosystem services, livelihoods and health in coastal Bangladesh. This requires the continuous engagement with stakeholders through the following steps: (1) system characterisation, (2) research question definition, (3) data and model identification, (4) model validation and (5) model application. This presentation will focus on the first three steps. Field-based social science and governance related research are on the way. The bio-physical models have been selected and some are already set up for the study area. These allow preliminary conceptualisation of the elements and linkages of the deltaic socio-environmental system and thus the preliminary structure of the integrated model. This presentation describes these steps

State of energy consumption and CO2 emission in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Azad, Abul K; Nashreen, S W; Sultana, J

2006-03-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important gases in the atmosphere, and is necessary for sustaining life on Earth. It is also considered to be a major greenhouse gas contributing to global warming and climate change. In this article, energy consumption in Bangladesh is analyzed and estimates are made of CO2 emission from combustion of fossil fuel (coal, gas, petroleum products) for the period 1977 to 1995. International Panel for Climate Change guidelines for national greenhouse gas inventories were used in estimating CO2 emission. An analysis of energy data shows that the consumption of fossil fuels in Bangladesh is growing by more than 5% per year. The proportion of natural gas in total energy consumption is increasing, while that of petroleum products and coal is decreasing. The estimated total CO2 release from all primary fossil fuels used in Bangladesh amounted to 5072 Gigagram (Gg) in 1977, and 14 423 Gg in 1995. The total amounts of CO2 released from petroleum products, natural gas, and coal in the period 1977-1995 were 83 026 Gg (50% of CO2 emission), 72 541 Gg (44% of CO2 emission), and 9545 Gg (6% CO2 emission), respectively. A trend in CO2 emission with projections to 2070 is generated. In 2070, total estimated CO2 emission will be 293 260 Gg with a current growth rate of 6.34% y . CO2 emission from fossil fuels is increasing. Petroleum products contribute the majority of CO2 emission load, and although the use of natural gas is increasing rapidly, its contribution to CO2 emission is less than that of petroleum products. The use of coal as well as CO2 emission from coal is expected to gradually decrease.

Caesarean of Lion (Panthera leo) at Dulahajra Safari Park, Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Khan, S.A.; Hassan, M.M.; Uddin, M.B.; Rahman, Z.M.M.; Yasin, G.; Epstein, J.H.

2011-01-01

A six years eight months pregnant lioness at the Dulahajara Safari Park, Chakoria, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, was presented with dystocia. This paper described the pre-, intra- and postoperative procedures including anesthetic protocol carried out and performing a caesarean section to remove dead fetuses and the successful recovery of the lioness without complications. PMID:26623273