Bangladesh

Maternal and child health, Water and sanitation , Emergencies risk reduction

Terre des hommes (Tdh), has been active in Bangladesh since 1974. It focuses its efforts on improving mother and child health care for under five-year-olds and preparing local communities to deal with natural disasters.

Context

Although Bangladesh has been growing rapidly, the problems children face remain very serious. Malnutrition affects millions of children. Many girls are forced into early marriage. Work is very widespread among under 14-year-olds. This is not only detrimental to good development but is also a completely ineffective way of improving the socio-economic conditions of the families involved. Finally, only 50% of children have access to proper sanitation. At the same time, reproductive health poses a number of challenges, and the country has a significantly high mortality rate among women at childbirth. Finally, Bangladesh is a country that suffers from frequent and devastating natural disasters such as floods and severe cold spells that further increase the vulnerability of the affected communities.

Our intervention

Health and nutrition – Tdh is active in Barguna and Kurigram in combating child malnutrition by means of medical care and preventive community projects. It also focuses on improving medical care by implementing better supervision of women both during and after pregnancy. Finally, sanitary conditions, access to clean water and sanitation facilities are being improved. Local communities are also being informed of the importance of good hygiene in fighting disease.

Emergency intervention and disaster risk reduction – Bangladesh is a country particularly affected by natural disasters. No matter what project Terre des hommes is involved in, it always includes the preparation of local communities to deal with these disasters. Tdh also very regularly launches emergency plans when its spheres of activity are concerned.

Socio-professional inclusion – In Kurigram, Tdh supported a training centre for teenagers until the end of 2010. Nearly 80% of them found work, thus participating in providing more than 50% of family incomes. As the government has set up a national programme of free teenager training, it was important for Tdh to close the project and not to replace the existing services.

• 89.641714 25.817246

  Kurigram and Chilmari

• 90.114362 22.158803

  Patharghata in Barguna District