Child mortality rises, life expectancy declines: BBS

Mortality rate for children under five years of age, newborns and children under one year has increased in the country, revealed Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ data of the last five years. The increase of the death rate of children has impacted the life expectancy rate of the people of the country.

Average life expectancy rate of Bangladeshis has decreased to 72.3 years from 72.4 years of the previous year.  

This picture has been revealed at Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics Report of 2023 published by BBS. The report was unveiled in a function at the Statistics Building at  Agargaon in the capital on Sunday.

BBS publishes 'Vital Statistics' every year. This statistics reveals various data such as birth, death, life expectancy and marriage of the people of the country.

According to the report, the estimated population of the country stood at 172.92 million on 1 July, 2023.

The survey recorded male life expectancy at 70.8 years while female at 73.8 years. That means females live more than male in the country.

According to the BBS survey, the average life expectancy rate of Bangladeshis has decreased to 72.3 years. This means babies born in 2023 can expect to live 72.3 years on average.

According to BBS, the mortality rate for children under one year of age was 25 per 1000 in 2022. This rate increased to 27 in the last year. The mortality rate for children of this age group was 21 some five years ago.

On the other hand, the death rate of newborns below one month of age has suddenly increased. The death of children below one month has reached 20 per 1000 live births, from 16 in 2022.  Five years ago, the death rate of this age group was 15.  Apart from this, the death rate of children under five years is 33 per thousand. The rate of death of this age group was 31 in 2022 and 28 five years ago.

Alamgir Hossain, director of SVRS in the Digital Platform Project of BBS, said that the reason for the decrease in average life expectancy is that the mortality rate, especially infant mortality, has increased. Non-communicable diseases have also increased. Many people are affected by such non-communicable diseases after the age of 40. The average life expectancy might decrease due to these reasons.

Alamgir Hossain, however, said the average life expectancy calculation has remained unchanged statistically but there is slight change numerically.
Average life expectancy is an important health indicator for a country. Life expectancy for Bangladeshis was 46 years in the year of independence in 1971. Since then, the rate increased gradually. The BBS first reported that life expectancy in the country had fallen in April last year. This year also saw a decrease in average life expectancy.

BBS tried to come up with an explanation for the fall in average life expectancy in yesterday’s programme but it did not show any reason for the increase in child mortality which is also an important health indicator. Effort is going on in countries around the world including Bangladesh to decrease child mortality. The increase in child mortality indicates that primary healthcare, maternity healthcare,  antenatal and postnatal care are not running well. World Health Organisation guidelines recommend at least eight contacts with healthcare providers during pregnancy. But the BBS report finds a total of 60 per cent pregnant women in Bangladesh cannot avail prenatal care even four times. As many as 33 per cent women still give birth at home.

Public health expert Abu Jamil Faisal told Prothom Alo that the problem can be identified in two ways. Firstly, the healthcare system has been divided into two parts—child health and maternal health. Such problems will continue to arise if there is no system to develop holistic and integrated healthcare. Secondly, people need to be more conscious about having children. Also, the government should make birth control materials more available.

The BBS report shows the top ten causes of death. Most people die of 'heart attack' in Bangladesh.

Other causes are brain hemorrhage; respiratory diseases; liver cancer, asthma; fever; high blood pressure; pneumonia; heart disease and diabetes.

However, maternal mortality per 100,000 live births has decreased to 136 from the previous year’s 153. The rate was 168 in 2021.

The child marriage has increased, according to the BBS report. The rate of marriage of girls below 15 years old increased to 8.2 per cent from the previous year’s 6.5 per cent.

Meanwhile, a total of 41.6 per cent girls are married before they turn 18 years of age. This rate was 40.9 per cent in 2022.

The average age of marriage for males is 25.4 years while for females it is 18.8 years.

The BBS report revealed information such as literacy rate, usage of mobile phone and internet. It is reported that by 77.9 per cent of the population over the age of seven have literacy.

Mobile phone, internet usage has increased. As a result, the number of users of mobile financial services like bkash, Nagad and Rocket has also increased. Number of account holders in banks and financial institutions has increased.

According to BBS, three out of every four people or a little over 74 per cent of the population in the country now use mobile phones. Half of the population over the age of 15 uses the internet in some way. About 48 per cent have mobile financial services accounts like Nagad, bkash or Rocket.

The BBS report shows the top five districts which have the highest number of people living in urban slums. Barisal tops the list with 13 per cent urban slum population coming from the district. Barishal is followed by the people of Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Cumilla and Netrakona. A total 42.5 per cent of urban slum dwellers come from these five districts. These slum dwellers came to the city in search of livelihood.

State minister for planning Shahiduzzaman Sarker was the chief guest at the programme. Statistics and Informatics Division’s secretary Shahnaz Arefin, Family Planning directorate’s director general Sahan Ara Banu, BBS’s director general Mizanur Rahman, among others, spoke at the function.

The state minister said availability of updated data makes policy formulation easier.

Family planning DG Sahan Ara Banu said maternal mortality rate and child marriage could not be reduced at an expected rate. She said awareness campaigns should be increased on social media without just depending on traditional media like radio and television.