Under-5 child mortality rate drops sharply: BDHS survey

The under-5 child mortality rate in the country has dropped to 31 per 1,000 live births in 2022 from 43 in 2017, said the preliminary report of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2022 released here today.

"The child mortality rate under one year is 25 per live births while the child death rate under one month is 20 per live births," the BDHS report said.

The preliminary report-2022 of BDHS was released at a dissemination meeting organized by National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) at a city hotel.

Secretary of Medical Education Division Azizur Rahman attended the meeting as the chief guest, an official release said.

The BDHS report also showed 70 percent mothers giving birth in 2022 in the country are attended by trained medical professionals, which is a significant progress compared to past previous years.

It also said 65 deliveries of pregnant women are done at the health complex in 2022 while 51 percent was in 2017.

However, caesarean operations have risen sharply between 2017 and 2022 as caesarean operation rate has increased to 45 percent from 34 percent, the BDHS report showed.

The BDHS report which is widely used by policymakers, development partners, researchers and programme managers, said health service receiving rate of women from poor family has increased while contraceptive using rate has increased to two percent compared to previous time. Application of modern method for birth control has reached 55 percent meaning three percent up in recent years, reports BSS.