Posted by: Farzana Yesmin
on Jul 20, 2009
Energy is an Engine of Growth
For Bangladesh, stable, expanding energy resources are a prerequisite for economic development. Bangladesh's energy resources constitute a significant engine of growth. More than two million people are employed in rural areas through electricity-run irrigation pumps, equipment and businesses. Rural businesses with electricity can generate eleven times more jobs than those without electricity.
Large Unsatisfied Demand for Energy
Bangladesh has a large unsatisfied demand for energy, which is growing by 10 percent annually. Currently, it has the lowest per capita consumption of commercial energy in South Asia. While the current installed capacity is 5320 megawatts because of reduced efficiency of the old generating units the derated (effective) capacity stands at 4830 megawatts as of November 2008. As a result, the country has been unable to meet the growing demand for electricity. All parts of the country, including the capital, Dhaka, experience frequent planned electricity outages.
To respond to the growing demand for energy, the Government of Bangladesh has permitted private, independent power producers to enter the Bangladeshi market since 1996. While the maximum generation currently is approximately 3,800 megawatts, demand during peak hours reaches 5,000 megawatts. U.S. assistance in this program area helps Bangladesh move from a developing country to a transforming country by establishing a transparent energy regulatory climate that will facilitate infrastructure investment, simultaneously promoting economic growth and good governance. USAID anticipates that by 2012 increased investment in infrastructure will allow Bangladesh to provide 6,400 megawatts of electricity during peak demand and an additional 1.8 million consumers will have access to off-grid power from solar energy.
Posted by: Farzana Yesmin
on Jul 20, 2009
Dramatic Improvements in Health
Twenty years ago, many experts claimed the nation's conservative culture and low standard of living would be insurmountable obstacles to family planning and child survival programs in Bangladesh. However, over the past three decades health indicators have improved dramatically.
In Bangladesh contraceptive use among currently married couples increased from 8% in the mid 1970’s to 56% in 2007. This resulted in a significant decline in fertility from 6.3 to 2.7 children per woman over the same period. However, recent findings from the 2007 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey show that contraceptive use rate has not improved in the past 3 years. Bangladesh’s goal to reach a fertility level of 2 children per woman or below will require contraceptive use to increase substantially over the current use rate.
There has been a significant increase in use of antenatal care among pregnant women, from 49%in 2004 to 52% 2007.4. Despite the rise in antenatal care, only one in five women receive the recommended four or more antenatal visits during her pregnancy. Less than one in five deliveries are assisted by a trained birth attendant. has a consequence-35 women are dying each day in giving child birth.
Over the last three decades, mortality rates of children under the age of five have declined significantly. Their risk of dying has fallen from 250 to 65 deaths per 1000 live births. Similar sharp decline has occurred in infant deaths due to the success of a number of child health programs like increasing vaccination coverage and improving management and treatment of diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. Most deaths among children under five years of age, occurs now in the first month of life. Reducing neonatal mortality has become an emerging challenge for Bangladesh.
Recent Plateaus Require Vigilance
Bangladesh’s huge population size, extreme population density and high levels of poverty impose significant challenges to sustain the successes achieved in health. The recent plateau in contraceptive use, if it continues to persist, will be a major setback for limiting the country’s population growth and stabilizing its population size.
Still, 85 percent of child deliveries occur at home, most with no trained birth attendants present. Only one in five women seek health check ups for herself or the baby within 6 weeks of delivery. The HIV/AIDS infection rate remains low in the general population. However, in certain high risk groups, the infection rate is rapidly reaching
