 Bangladesh–Australia Child Health Project (BACH Project):
- Project duration: 1986 - 1994 (8 years).
- Project area: 24 Bangladeshi villages.
- Implementing Agency:
-
Bangladesh Scouts.
- Bangladesh Girl Guides Association,
- Scout Australia
- Girl Guides Association of Australia.
- Objectives: Establish and maintain a pilot child health care program in Bangladesh through scouts and guides.
- Program & Activities: The programs involved health education in the techniques of the UNICEF Child Survival and Development Revolution, especially in the fields of oral rehydration therapy (ORT), immunization, nutrition growth monitoring and personal hygiene.
- The program encouraged the application of four low-cost interventions as follows:
- Growth monitoring,
- Breast feeding,
- Immunization,
- Oral Rehydration Therapy.
- UNICEF backed up its challenge by providing support to develop the “Help Children Grow Kit”. The logo of which was later incorporated into the BACH project.
Project Strategy:
- The BACH project was the first joint child health project in the scouting and guiding movement involving the Child Survival Revolution Principles.
- Two teams of Australia visited Bangladesh every year and worked with their Bangladeshi counterparts for 3 weeks on child health care.
Results:
Growth Monitoring: Growth of Children Under 90 cm Length.
Majority of values relating to the heights and weights of the children fell within 2 SD (standard deviation) of the mean.
Growth Monitoring: Growth of Children Over 90 cm Length
Growth Monitoring: Growth of Children under 90 cm Length
Majority of values relating to the heights and weights of the children fell within 2 SD (standard deviation) of the mean.
Mid-Upper Arm Circumference(MUAC):
MUAC |
11 cm |
12 cm |
13 cm |
14 cm |
15 cm |
16 cm |
17 cm |
18 cm |
19 cm |
Total |
Girls |
3 |
12 |
17 |
35 |
26 |
13 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
116 |
% |
2.6 |
10.4 |
14.7 |
30.2 |
22.4 |
11.2 |
6.7 |
.9 |
.9 |
100% |
Boys |
0 |
11 |
25 |
44 |
30 |
18 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
135 |
% |
0 |
8 |
18.5 |
32.6 |
22.2 |
13.3 |
3.7 |
.8 |
.8 |
100% |
Only 8% of male children and 13% of female children were undernourished. This result was better in comparison to the related national figure.
Significant improvement was registered in:
- Child Immunization
- Under-5 Mortality Rate
- Sanitation and safe water usage.
- Improving Knowledge and practice relating to ORS, breastfeeding, weaning feeding,
- Sustainability of Achievements:
- Formation of Village Development Committee (VDC) in each project village.
- Follow up activities by Bangladesh Scouts.
- Partnership developed with the Government, UN bodies (UNICEF, UNDP) and Local and Foreign NGOs.
Lessons learned.
The young people of Bangladesh and Australia have made a real difference in child health in BACH project villages.
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