Unnayan Onneshan Update March 2010

NEW RESEARCH REPORTS

Health seeking behavior in relation to waterborne diseases

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Exploring underlying factors which influence people’s attitude and knowledge towards perceived illnesses will promote intervention areas to reduce vulnerability and consequently, contribute to adaptation measures. Such background driving forces of this research is operationalized through the questionnaire survey with random sampling. The thrust areas of gathering information include children’s health status by asking mothers, their socio-economic status and health seeking behavior, availability of health facilities and perceptions regarding health care. Almost half of the children are found sick due to various water related diseases. Among those, the most prevalent are diarrhoea, skin disease and hepatitis A. In case of diarrhoea and skin disease, NGO Health Care is primarily sought and pharmacies are a second choice. In case of hepatitis A, self treatment (traditional healer, especially religious help) is sought. Health education and training both for awareness and capacity building of the vulnerable groups are crucial to avoid potential risks and to prevent disease occurrence. Also, changing behavior from traditional beliefs and behaviors to pro-poor modern techniques in the health service sector is suggested through this study.

Monthly Economic Update- Implication of Non-Economic Factors on Macro Economic Indicators

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The performance of various macro economic variables in Bangladesh has been setback due to the prevailing capacity constraint that exists within the institutions. The level of aggregate investment in the economy has not been limited by resource constraint rather it was lack of incentive for investment. The capital mobility of the economy has been negatively affected by factors such as political variables, infrastructural constraint, international financial linkages and fiscal policy coordination. These factors have contributed to the reluctance of entrepreneurs to invest and it has also hindered the potentiality of foreign direct investment in the economy. These non-economic factors have also affected the implementation of the development programmes in the course of time. For achieving a sustainable growth rate, savings must be translated into investment by removing infrastructural constraints, corruption and political variables in the tax administration which are frequently faced by the entrepreneurs and negatively affect investment decisions. Good governance with little rent- seeking options and a combination and monetary and fiscal policy is required to crowd- in investment in the economy. Reforms in the financial institutions are crucial for a growth characterized by equity and justice.

Op-ed pieces in Media

Recent Research Reports

Workshop

  • Developing a Conservation Education and Community Outreach Strategy for Tiger Conservation in Bangladesh

  • A 5-day long training workshop entitled Developing a Conservation Education and Community Outreach Strategy for Tiger Conservation in Bangladesh was held from March 13-17, 2010 on board the ‘M.V. Aboshar’ boat of The Guide Tours Ltd.  The workshop was jointly organised by Wildlife Trust of Bangladesh (WTB), Zoological Society of London (ZSL), US Fish and wildlife Service, and HECT.

  • 33 participants from different national an international organisations attended the workshop and collaboratively endeavoured to develop an effective Conservation Education and Community Outreach Strategy for Tiger Conservation in Bangladesh. Mr. Mohammed Abdul Baten, Research Associate of Unnayan Onneshan, participated in this event.

Seminar

  • Impact of Increasing Landlessness on Access to Food: Experience of Small and Marginal Farmers in Rural Bangladesh

  • An in-house seminar on ‘Food Security’ took place at Unnayan Onneshan’s conference room on March 20th 2010 as a part of its regular in-house seminar series. Ms. Mehruna Islam Chowdhury presented her research paper on “Impact of Increasing Landlessness on Access to Food: Experience of Small and Marginal Farmers in Rural Bangladesh” and the seminar was moderated by Mohammed Abdul Baten, Research Associate of the organization. The research explores the link between landlessness and access to food in rural Bangladesh. It is shown that even though 75 percent food production comes from the rural areas, landlessness and its associated factors are responsible for depriving the small and marginal farmers in the rural areas. Landlessness (here defined as productive land) leads to their insufficient purchasing power for availing nutritional food for their families. The multi dimensional impacts caused by this are detailed in the report. Finally the study reviews and recommends the action steps necessary to achieve their access to food. The participants pointed the research as an important one in the area of food security and gave their comments on the study.

Contents

Upcoming Events

Performance of Bangladesh Economy and Proposal for next year's budget

    • Time: 10th April
    • Place: National Press Club

    More events

About Unnayan Onneshan

The Unnayan Onneshan is an independent progressive think tank which aims to contribute to innovation in development through research, advocacy, solidarity and action. The Unnayan Onneshan - the Innovators was registered in 2003 as a not-for-profit trust to contribute towards search for solutions to endemic poverty, injustice, gender inequality and environmental degradation at the local, national and global levels. The philosophy, ideas and actions of the organization focus on pluralistic, participatory and sustainable development and seek to challenge the narrow theoretical and policy approaches derived from unitary models of development...

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The Unnayan Onneshan Update provides  information about initiatives, publications  and media citations of Unnayan Onneshan