Infant mortality: Bangladesh better than India for first time

[reverse_swing]

NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 5: For the first time, Bangladesh is set to overtake India in this year’s UN Human Development Report when it comes to the crucial indicator of infant mortality.

In 1970, while India had 202 deaths per 1000 (of children from O to 5 years of age) and Bangladesh had 239 deaths. After three decades, the latest figures—to be released on Wednesday—show that India’s figure has fallen to the 80s but Bangladesh’s infant mortality figures are now in the 60s.

India’s failure on this front was disclosed by the lead author of this year’s report Kevin Watkins at a recent lecture at Oxford University.

Human Development Report 2005 focuses on three broad areas of trade, aid and conflict. These themes are seen as important in the run up to the meeting on reviewing progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) which relate to reducing poverty, ensuring health, water and education for all.

‘‘Combine growth rate plus pattern of distribution if the country is serious about MDGs on reducing inequality,’’ Watkins said.

Behind this indictment of India, is the story of country’s poor healthcare, lack of education facilities and hunger made starker against the backdrop of the impressive growth figures.

‘‘Countries like India and China have not been able to convert their economic success into a basic indicator like child mortality,’’ said Watkins. ‘‘Vietnam with a lower average income has overtaken China. Similarly, India with its weak performance has been taken over by Bangladesh which was considered to be a basket case for human development,’’ he said.

The lesson to be learnt from this is that changes can be made even with lower levels of income and smaller economic growth.

In Bangladesh, rates for child mortality are coming down by 5% each year. It is making dramatic strides in other indicators too.

Talking of health services, Watkins said: ‘‘In India, rate of progress in the ’80s was good with large-scale immunization. Now that the low-hanging fruit are gone, it is tough. Today, in India, the death rate for children ages 1-5 is 50% higher for girls than for boys,’’ he said.

In China, however, the gap between rural and urban health is reducing because of efforts made in privatisation of health services.

‘‘A modest shift of distribution of income has big potential. Bottom 20% of the population is responsible for 30% of child deaths,’’ said Watkins.

Source: Indianexpress >>

Edited on, September 5, 2005, 10:44 PM GMT, by reverse_swing.

[VladMamu]

Sounds like India is a failed state. Perhaps India should be forced to join Bangladesh. Than maybe the little imfants will be taken care of properly. Sounds like India should never have been separated from Bangladesh. Maybe they shouldn't even exist. It should all be Bangladesh.

(In reference to the thread "What an India mind thinks of Bangladesh after the bombings thread.)

(.....craziness.....)

It amazes me that some Indians still can't let it go, that Bangladesh exists. It should have existed long ago, and should have included all of Bengal in my view. Everyone speaks the same language and has a similar culture. But it is what it is, and should be respected as such now, as further talk like from the Prasar Bharati will only result in more deaths.

that's my removed view anyway, although, I admit I am somewhat biased now, however, my country doesn't exist anymore either that I was born in. Czechoslovakia. It split into Czech and Slovak republic in interest of peace. No war over it. Czech just let it go. Big deal. If Calcutta and Assam wanna join Bangladesh, let them. If California wants to join Mexico, let them. If Punjab wants to separate, let them. If there is peaceful separation, rather than war, than there will be still trade after, and open borders, and peace in the end will create and result in economic deals and packs, and in the end it'll all United anyway, like Europe did. In the end it'll all be one world anyway. So all these border, natiionalistic disputes are anyway futule, as we has dicovered cars, airplanes, internet, etc. etc. It will all be one world. THIS is inevitable.

[VladMamu]

p.s. in the end we are all going to be American. So let's just join the states. Canada, Bangladesh and Czech Republic. Think they would take us???

[ZunaidH]

whiteguy;

What do you think about Quebec going separate?

[VladMamu]

Originally posted by ZunaidH
whiteguy;

What do you think about Quebec going separate?

Very good question. If they want to go, let them go. If the vote is 50.1 percent they can go. After all, they will still be there. We will still do business with them. They will just have affairs over their own business. In fact, we will be better off, because they are subsidized partially, just like the Czechs were better off.

And if British Columbia wants to join United States fine. Our borders and nationalities are just as fluid as the people within them, which are just as fluid as the weather around the globe. So the killing in the name of the said things is a waste of lives.

[Padosan]

White guy,

First of al, India is NOT a failed state. Just by taking one WHO figure you have come to a conclusion. You did accept you are biased, but still It really amazes me how biased you are .

you just have seen one side of the story and you are talking about exceptions when you say "some Indians", we can also talk about "some american cults", "some canadian cults" but you know for yourself they talk utter stupidity.

why dont you let your house be part of your neighbour, just that your neighbour wants it, else he will fight. No fight, you can all live in peace. Its all easily said then done buddy !

cheers !

Padosan

[imtiaz82]

Bangladesh: Climbing HD Indices

At the start of 1990s pessimism about development prospects of Bangladesh was a deeply ingrained as pessimism is about sub-Saharan Africa today. Slow economic growth, rapid population growth, limited progress on social indicators and acute vulnerability to natural disasters provoked descriptions of Bangladesh as ‘‘a landscape of disaster.’’ That landscape has changed dramatically.

Since 1990, Bangladesh has recorded some of the developing world’s most rapid advance in basic human development indicators. Child and infant mortality rates have been falling at mroe than 5% a year, the fertility rate has fallen sharply, and malnutrition among mothers has fallen from 52% in 1996 to 42% in 2002. Primary school enrollment rates have reached more than 90% up from 72% in 1990, with close to gender parity, and enrollment in secondary education has been rising.

How did Bangladesh achieve this transformation of the human development landscape? Not by economic growth alone. True, the 1990’s saw more rapid growth, with average incomes rising at just under 3% a year. However, Bangladesh is still a desperately poor country — average income is $1.770 — and income poverty has been falling relatively slowly, by 10% between 1990 and 2002.

Active partnership with civil society: Non-government organisations (NGOs) have played a critical role in improving access to basic services through innovative programmes. For example. The Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) has pioneered programs to recruit and train local female teachers, develop relevant curriculum material and support parental involvement in school management. More than 2 million children go to school outside the formal government system. But the NGO schools act as feeders for government middle schools.

Targeted transfers: Wide-ranging social programmes have targeted improved nutrition while also creating wider incentives for human development. The Food for Schooling programme offers free rations to poor households if their children attend primary school. About 7% of government spending on education is allocated through this programme, reaching 2.1 million children and providing a stipend of $3 a month. Participating schools have achieved higher rates of girls' participation and lower drop-out rates, demonstrating how incentives can counteract the economic pressures and cultural prejudices that keep girls out of school.

Virtuous cycles and female agency: Improved access to health and education for women, allied with expanded opportunities for employment and access to micro-credit has expanded choice and empowered women. While gender disparities still exist, women have become increasingly powerful catalysts for development, demanding greater control over fertility and birth spacing, education for their daughters and access to services.

Bangladesh achieved this remarkable progress at low levels of income and starting from a position of low literacy, high malnutrition and weak institutions. Its success demonstrate what can be achieved through stronger state action and civic activism.

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_st...ntent_id=77721