Presentation of icddr,b research activities on urban health and early marriage in Bangladesh Seminar

The 2013 Bangladesh Urban Health Survey is a multi-partner project funded by USAID and UKaid. It is a nationally representative survey using a sample of roughly 54,000 households. The aim of the survey is to highlight the health inequalities between slum and non-slum dwellers in urban Bangladesh. The survey seeks to provide estimates for health indicators like under-five mortality and maternal healthcare utilization in slum and non-slum domains. The survey findings will help policy makers and donors to identify those who are most vulnerable to adverse health outcomes in urban settings and to effectively address their needs.

Early Marriage in Bangladesh: Not as Early as it Appears - Using Matlab demographic surveillance data maintained by the icddr,b, this study aims to assess if misreporting of age at marriage could be contributing to the persistence of early marriage and early childbearing in the country. In the sample of 1800 ever married women, more than half underreported their age at marriage. On average, reported age at marriage was two years lower than the actual age. Misreporting of age at marriage has implications for age at first birth. The study concludes that the actual rates of teenage marriage and teenage pregnancy in Bangladesh may be much lower than the levels reported in Demographic and Health Surveys.