Socio-economic condition, dietary pattern and nutritional status of pre-school ethnic children in Bandarban district of Bangladesh

Abstract

World Health Organization clearly cites malnutrition in the form of under nutrition as the gravest single threat to the world’s public health and requires immediate attention (BDA, 2012). World Bank1 has given surprising information i.e. the global loss of social productivity in one year that is caused by three overlapping types of malnutrition (nutritional stunting, underweight and wasting), iodine deficiency disorder, deficiency of iron and vitamin Ais equivalent to 46million years of productive, disabilityfree life. This is really a matter of thinking deeply. Rayhan & Khan2 says that over population and poverty are huge problem in Bangladesh and tend to cause population hazards like malnutrition among pre-school children who are naturally innocent, vulnerable and dependent. Bangladesh has a number of ethnic minor group population and they lead their life in great ethnic diverse fashion.3 They constitute about 1% of total population.3 They are distributed in scattered way all over the hilly, riverine and dense forest region of the country.3 There are 45 different ethnic groups in Bangladesh with a total population of more than 12lakh.3 Tribal people are distinct from Bengali people by their ethnic origin, culture, feeding practice, literacy rate and profession.4 Chittagong Hill Tract is a unique, charming and tourist friendly environment characterized by hilly and remote terrain, barrier in communication, ethnic diversity a different settlement pattern.5 Both Government and Non-Government Organization (NGO) are trying to provide health and nutrition services in order to improve health and nutrition status of tribal people particularly women, children and adolescent girl in CHT.5 The majority of tribal population (778,425) live in rural, forest and hilly settings, where many practices shifting cultivation.5 Bandarban is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division.6 It is one of the three districts that make up the Chittagong Hill Tracts. One of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts,7 Bandarban (4,479 km2) is not only the remotest district of the country, but also is the least populated (population 4,04,093) where ethnic peoples were 1,79,400 and Bengali peoples were 2,24,693 (Population census 2011). Number of ethnic groups live in the district besides the Bengalis who settling there gradually. Life of these ethnic people is extremely different in terms of cultural variation. Usually ethnic women do hard work both in family, field and market. Ethnic groups are self-dependent because they produce their own food, made their own cloths and try to avoid complex life though each tribe has its own distinctive features. These salient features make them unique area of study. Many of setbacks cannot be well-perceived due-to short of necessary and sufficient information.