Health cognizance and nutrition are prerequisite for Girls’ Education; Bangladesh Perspective

Publish: 9:57 PM, January 21, 2021 | Update: 9:57 PM, January 21, 2021

A S M SHAMEM
Female education is widely presumed to affect health, including fertility and child health through its influence on health behaviors. Child health care is a public health problem which is recognized as a huge barrier for child development. The association between education and health is that education itself produces benefits that later predispose the recipient to better health outcomes. Education offers opportunities to learn more about health and its risks, both in the form of health education in the school curriculum and also by giving the girls the health literacy about important lifestyle choices to prevent and manage diseases. Educated women grow up in comparatively modern communities or households with implications not only for education but also preferences for health and its care.

Education is critical to social and economic development and has a profound impact on population health. Adolescent girls generally lack access to comprehensive or accurate information on menstruation and sexual and reproductive health; such knowledge generally increases among older girls, in urban areas and among girls with primary education or more. Lack of knowledge can underpin unhygienic practices for managing menstruation. Due to high child marriage rates and norms favoring early childbearing, adolescent pregnancy and childbearing rates in Bangladesh are high.

Malnutrition is a common problem in Bangladesh and thinness and stunting among adolescent girls is widespread and persistent. Data from the latest DHS shows that 31% of married girls aged 15-19 are undernourished, while a study found that more than one in four rural girls were thin and stunted. As is the case for adolescent sexual and reproductive health status, nutritional status is also related to socioeconomic status, place of residence and other contextual factors.

Basic human rights by international conference declaration and legal instruments selected that women have the right to have timely, affordable and good quality of health care. The millennium development goals are also highlighting that part. So like other countries the Bangladeshi women also have the rights to have women friendly health service. But it is quite difficult for the distance of the health care. The women in our country are not allowed to move such a far distance place and the religious issue is also a great fact here. They need separate kind of health service in the health care to feel comfortable. The government of Bangladesh and UNICEF has been working tighter for this (BDHS, 2007).

Girl’s education is one of the major issues which have an impact on the health sector of a country. If the girls and women are educated then they will be concerned about their health, family and environment. It is easier for an educated mother to take care of her child than an uneducated mother. If we can involve the women into work then they will be conscious about their family planning and also be aware about their rights and responsibilities.

The writer is Assistant Professor, Department of English of Asian University of Bangladesh