Chittagong Bureau

CHITTAGONG, Aug 27:?Chittagong district has made tremendous progress in some of the social sectors that are vital for achieving the United Nations (UN) set Millennium Development Goals (MDG) by the year 2015.

The progresses have been acquired in the fields of child health and nutrition, maternal health, water and sanitation, primary education and protection of rights of children and adolescents.

In many cases the progress rate of the district in the respective fields exceeded even the national achievement and the picture of the unachieved areas is also hopeful. The district acquired 59th position in the progress rating.

These were disclosed in the Multiple Indicator Survey reports titled ?Bangladesh Health and Injury Survey' and ?On the road to progress' released together here in the Port City recently.

Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong Ashraful Maqbul formally launched the report as the chief guest while Deputy Commissioner Dr Nesar Ahmed presided over the function.

Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), United Nations International Children Emergency Fund (UNICEF) and Directorate of Health have jointly carried out the survey. Both the reports depicted district wise status of social development by utilizing accumulated data in the fields.

Safe drinking water coverage in the district is slightly less than 100% against the national status of 97.4%. Only 0.3% people depend on pond and river water. The Use of sanitary latrines increased sharply in the district. More than 25.5% people have water-sealed and 39.4% pit latrines in the district which are 8.1 and 4.2% higher than national status.

More than 88 of every 100 people take oral dehydration fluid to fight diarrhoea in Chittagong district while the national rate is slightly less than 68. Immunization of kids U 5 against four killer diseases in the district is BCG 94.9, DPT 71.1, Polio 84.7 and Measles 90.2 against the national picture 94.6, 68.8, 85.4 and 83.4 respectively.

According to the Survey report a total of 69.9% household in the district use iodized salt when the national status of iodized salt consumers is 69.6%. Malnutrition rate among the girls is twice as much the national level. 

As many as 25.5% of the mothers in the district received assistance from qualified doctors, trained nurses or midwives at the time of giving birth to their kids when only 13.9% mothers received the same all over the country.

The Net primary school enrolment picture for both boys and girls are very close to the national level. Formal schooling rate is 85.6 against the national rate 85.1%.