As flood waters continue to recede throughout much of Bangladesh after this year's above average monsoon rains, health experts have expressed concern over child malnutrition in the country.
“In flood-affected districts children of poor parents are showing early signs of stunted growth,” Professor Fatema Parveen Chowdhury, director of Bangladesh’s Institute of Public Health and Nutrition, told IRIN in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.
“Every year we have varying degrees of flood that damage crops, delay re-cultivation, erode land and devour homes. Everyone suffers. But children, especially the poor ones, suffer the worst,” Chowdhury said, citing serious long-term term health concerns.
“Children suffer from diarrhoea, respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, conjunctivitis and viral fever. Iodine, iron and vitamin-A deficiencies are endemic in some hard-to-reach pockets. Deficiency of these micronutrients causes severe malnutrition that makes children susceptible to impaired intellect, night blindness and host of other health disorders,” she said.
Chowdhury said efforts by the government to provide vitamin-A to supplement nutritional deficiencies amongst children suffering from diarrhoea were facing logistical and distribution problems in flood-affected areas.
“Roads have been washed away. Rivers are still churning. Communications have not been fully restored. There are enough high protein biscuits and medicines. The problem is, how to hand these to those who need [them]?” she asked.
Dr Mizanur Rahman, resident medical officer of the government hospital in the southern district town of Barisal, said that on 24 September 250 child patients had been admitted to his hospital that day, despite a bed capacity of just 35.
“The situation may further deteriorate in the coming weeks. Already malnourished poor children will face a further food and nutrition crunch as their parents will not be able to procure enough for their families. Most of them will languish without a job at that time. They will not have money to buy food. The galloping price hikes will simply add insult to their injury,” Dr Rahman said.
Food price hikes
The extensive damage caused to this year’s crops and vegetable fields by floods in late August and early September have pushed the price of food and other essentials well above the buying power of many people.
A market monitoring report of the Consumers’ Association of Bangladesh (CAB) published on 24 September showed an overall increase in commodity prices of 16.9 percent in July 2007 compared to July 2006. Rice and flour went up 32.35 percent and 42.43 percent respectively. Cooking oil went up 53.78 percent and milk and dairy products 27.58.
 The situation may further deteriorate in the coming weeks. Already malnourished poor children will face a further food and nutrition crunch as their parents will not be able to procure enough for their families. |
CAB’s market monitoring report showed that vegetable prices in August 2007 went up by 21 per cent compared to July, while the price of rice and eggs also increased by 6.62 and 7.40 percent respectively over the same period.
According to a study released on 24 September by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, there was a 30 percent increase in malnutrition among flood-affected children after the mammoth 2004 floods. The study conducted immediately before and after the flood of 2004 indicated that diarrhoea played a significant role in stunted growth and susceptibility to diseases among flood affected children.
“It may be the same this time, too, unless a massive and sustained `vulnerable child feeding programme’ is undertaken immediately by the government, donors and non-governmental organisations,” Faruque warned.
sa/ds/cb
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
