DHAKA, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- A recent survey commissioned by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and supported by UNICEF, shows that though Bangladesh has relatively better levels of overall achievements in urban areas in terms of the well-being of children and women, large disparities exist between slum and non-slum areas within city corporations as well as with the municipality and other urban areas.
The Child Well-being Survey (CWS) in urban areas of Bangladesh was conducted between February and April 2016 focusing on 75 child related indicators in over 20,000 households.
Survey results indicate that large disparities exist within city corporations between the slum and non-slum areas and also between the divisions for many of the indicators related to child nutrition, breastfeeding, child health, access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation, reproductive health, maternal and newborn health, child development, literacy and education and child protection.
The key findings of the survey was disseminated Sunday at a seminar in Dhaka.
Jean Gough, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia, said, "A growing number of the world's poorest children now live in urban slums, devoid of access to quality health, education and social services. We cannot make strides in achieving our goal of reducing child poverty without addressing urban inequality. The survey findings highlight the urgency to consolidate our efforts and collaborate with policymakers, planners and development partners to build safe, sustainable and inclusive cities for our children."
The survey key results find more than one in four under-five children (26.3 per cent) in urban areas are stunted (height-for-age); children in the slum areas of city corporations have much higher prevalence (40 per cent) when compared to those from non-slum areas (25 per cent) a difference of about 15 percentage points.
The survey finds about three in five births (65 per cent) are attended by skilled attendants in urban areas. While about 56 per cent of births are assisted in city corporation slums, 74 per cent of deliveries are assisted in non-slum areas, survey results showed.
Net Attendance Ratio in primary education, one of the main indicators in the education sector, was 86 per cent, with slum areas rates 15 points lower than the non-slum areas within city corporations, they showed.
According to the survey, prevalence of child labour for 5 to 14 year olds, which stood at 8.1 per cent for urban areas as a whole, was substantially higher in city corporation slum areas at 14.3 per cent.
Early marriage continues to be high with about 59.7 per cent of women aged 20-49 getting married before the age of 18 years, and about one in every three girl in the age group of 15-19 years being married, the survey reveals.
Urbanization is linked to economic advancement and brings with it new opportunities as well as challenges for sustainable and inclusive development, UNICEF said in statement.
It said what is unique to Bangladesh is the speed and scale of urbanization, with an annual growth rate of 3.6 per cent.
According to the projections by the UN Expert group, by 2025, the urban population in Bangladesh will be around 77 million and according to the McKenzie Global Institute report, Dhaka will have the 3rd largest child population in the world, it added.
