Assessment of children health condition of urban slum area: a case study on Khulna municipality, Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study is an attempt to reveal the health condition and the accessibility of the selected basic services of the slum children of Khulna city. A qualitative interpretative approach was followed to analyze the data gathered through multi-method data collection approaches consisting of observation, structured questionnaire surveys and informal interviews in inside and outside the community. A total of 400 households with 200 respondents (100 parents and 100 children) were interviewed through a random sampling method and a few focus group discussions were organized to get a real and detail present and the past picture of the study area. Information on socioeconomic background, facilities of basic services, condition of children’s health, education, sanitation practices along with other facilities such as medical facilities were collected. In the study area, only 10% children can complete their secondary school certificate and the other deprive because of poverty and unconsciousness. There are very limited accesses to safe drinking water supply and sanitation facilities in slum area. Moreover, the children are living in an unhygienic and overpopulated environment for a long time. Although 100% latrine is pucca (i.e., constructed by brick and cement materials) in the study area, most of the children’s feces is dispose in open spaces. Hand washing practices is also not proper among children where only 60% children use soap after defecation and 5% children use soap before taking meal. That’s why the children are suffering from frequent waterborne disease. The highest affecting disease is diarrhea (40%). From the study results it is also found that, parents in the slum are not enough knowledgeable about child health care. Although various non-government organizations and government organizations are trying to solve the urgent problems in order to achieve millennium development goals.