Mitigating the impact of climate change on the health of the most vulnerable in the south of the country
2024
1,800
pregnant women, young mothers and teenagers made aware of the consequences of water salinity on their health
22
health-care workers informed about women’s health risks
In Bangladesh, climate change is a daily reality: increased incidence of cyclones, flooding, extreme heat waves, rising sea levels… One of the areas most affected is the Assasuni sub-district (population 268,000) in the Shatkhira district in the south-west of the country. Local populations, mainly dependent on fishing, face the devastating effects of water salinity and heat on their health and livelihoods.
In response to these challenges, Enfants du Monde and its partner, the local Eco-Social Development Organization (ESDO) have been implementing a health project in Assasuni since 2023.
Drinking water shortages and the ravages of salinity on people’s health
Due to poverty, the people of Assasuni do not have the means to desalinate water or to buy drinking water. Access to fresh water (rainwater collection, from rivers and lakes, etc.) is often unhygienic. Inhabitants are forced to drink mostly contaminated water, and have only salt water to prepare meals, clean the house and wash clothes.
Women, who often sacrifice themselves to leave the little fresh water available for men and children, suffer even more from diseases linked to excess salt, such as hypertension, diarrhea, kidney problems, skin diseases and hair loss. Moreover, since they only have salt water to wash their menstrual cloths, women and teenagers are prone to frequent infections.
Mitigating the health impacts of salinity and improving resilience against heat waves
In order to bring about a lasting improvement, we carried out an in-depth analysis of community needs, in collaboration with the local population, our local partner ESDO and the Bangladesh Research Institute for Development (BRID). Together, we decided to propose a package of actions: health education for women and adolescent girls to protect themselves from the risks associated with salinity, training for skilled birth attendants and other health personnel in community clinics to identify diseases linked to climate change and inform the population, the renovation of certain health infrastructures and the provision of a mobile ambulance, as well as the renovation of a water point to provide access to a greater quantity of drinking water.
Our impact
- Renovation of Anulia community clinic to provide better care for patients;
- Renovation of the Ashasuni rainwater collection basin to provide purified water for drinking and cooking;
- Training for midwives and health staff at community clinics on the impact of climate change on maternal, child and adolescent health;
- Organization of health education sessions for pregnant women, young mothers and teenagers, with specially developed teaching materials on heat waves, the use of fresh water, water salinity and menstrual hygiene;
- Provision of a mobile ambulance in the Pratapnagar Union ; a 3-wheeled solar-powered vehicle capable of circulating in very narrow streets.
Health and family planning officer, Pratapnagar
The provision of the mobile ambulance has already saved the life of a mother and her newborn baby, this an example of how small steps can lead to big achievements.
Contact our team
Enfants du Monde
House n°18, Flat n°402, Level n°3, Road 24, Block K, Banani
Dhaka-1213
Bangladesh
Ms Shameema Akhter Shimul
Tel. +8802 222 288 558
Email: shameema.shimul@edm.ch
Financial partners
Local partners
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