Family planning in Bangladesh

Family planning in Bangladesh is carried out by government agencies and supported by non-government organisations.[1][2][3] The Directorate General of Family Planning is the government agency responsible for family planning in Bangladesh.[4] Marie Stopes Bangladesh is an international NGO that provides family planning services in Bangladesh.[5]

In 1975 the population of Bangladesh was 76.3 million, and by 2001 the population had reached 130.5 million.[6] Bangladesh has a fertility rate of 2.3, which, according to United Nations Population Fund, makes it a "low fertility country".[7] Bangladesh has a high population density, with about 1000 people per square kilometre.[8] Since independence Bangladesh has reduced its total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1, which means that women have 2.1 children on average. At this TFR and without migration a country's population is neither growing nor shrinking.[9] Bangladesh family planning programs have been described as being weakened in recent years.[10]

History

In 1950 family planning was introduced by medical volunteers and social workers. In 1965 the Government of Pakistan started a family planning program in East Pakistan. In 1976 the government of Bangladesh declared rapid population growth rate as the nation's number one problem.[11] Bangladesh has experienced rapid population growth since its independence. This was a result of high fertility rate, increased life expectancy, and decreasing mortality rate.[6] In 1975 the total fertility rate was 6.3, which by 2011 was reduced to 2.3 according to the data collected by the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2011.[4] The survey found most women have two or more children. It also found that the majority of women in Bangladesh would prefer to have two or less Children.[12] Since 2011 the total fertility rate has remained at 2.3, according to the International Conference on Family Planning, family planning in Bangladesh has not made progress since then.[13] Infant mortality fell from 160,300 in 2000 to 83,100 by 2015 according to The Lancet. Bangladesh is ranked 7 worldwide in number of stillbirths.[14] Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey 2014 found that 33% of 15 to 19 year olds were pregnant. Sixty-six percent of the population give birth before age 19.[15] Family Service is supported by UNFPA in Bangladesh.[16]

Underage marriage

According to official government estimates in Bangladesh 65% of girls are married off before their 18th birthday.[17] 60 percent of child brides have children by the time they are 19 and 10 percent of them have children by the time they are 15.[18] Bangladesh's Penal Code places the age of consent at 14, through sex before marriage is frowned upon socially.[19]

Contraceptives

According to Bangladesh government data, 40 percent of couples in the country do not use contraceptives.[17] The most popular choice of contraceptives is birth control pill. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare subsidizes contraceptives in Bangladesh.[20] Reproductive health is not taught in schools and is not part of the national educational curriculum.[21] Bangladesh employs women to provide family planning advice and contraceptives.[22] Bangladesh has a high rate of illegal abortions and increased availability of contraceptives is expected to reduce that.[23] Essential Drugs Company Ltd started manufacturing condoms in Bangladesh from 2010.[24]

See also

References
  1. "Niger minister keen to follow Bangladesh's initiatives". The Daily Star. 2016-05-18. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  2. "Family planning must to make population asset". The Daily Star. 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  3. "Population growth in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 2010-11-22. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  4. "Progress stagnant for last 4 years". The Daily Star. 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  5. "DHL Bangladesh organises breast and cervical cancer awareness programme | Dhaka Tribune". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  6. "Population control: Prospects still bleak". The Daily Star. 2010-12-11. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  7. "Bangladesh now a low fertility country". The Daily Star. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  8. Nabi, A K M Nurun. "Population Challenges for Bangladesh". The Daily Star. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  9. Najma Rizvi (2018-06-16). "Healthy Change". D+C, development and cooperation. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  10. "Bangladesh's family planning services have become 'weak': Analyst". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  11. "Controlling the population boom". The Daily Star. 2013-01-07. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  12. "Every Pregnancy is Wanted". The Daily Star. 2015-08-09. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  13. "Family planning stuck". The Daily Star. 2016-01-28. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  14. "Rate halved in 15 years". The Daily Star. 2016-01-22. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  15. "Zero Tolerance to Child Pregnancy". The Daily Star. 2016-10-11. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  16. "Maternal Mortality affects development of a country". The Daily Star. 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  17. "Bali conference calls for higher investments in family planning". Dhaka Tribune. Archived from the original on 2017-04-15. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  18. "Rakibul Hasan wins 120 Under 40 award". Dhaka Tribune. 2016-11-10. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  19. "Does Bangladesh have an age of consent?". Dhaka Tribune. 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  20. "Modern contraceptive options in Bangladesh". The Daily Star. 2017-02-26. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  21. "Contraceptive use among married adolescent girls". The Daily Star. 2013-07-28. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  22. Weiss, Kenneth R. (2014-06-06). "How Bangladesh's female health workers boosted family planning". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  23. "Family planning in Bangladesh | Science and Technology". BBC World Service. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
  24. "Made in Bangladesh: contraceptives". The Daily Star. 2011-08-01. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
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