Bangladesh Health Commodities

Results as of the end of the project (June 2012) include: procuring medical commodities such as essential drugs and vaccines through UNICEF and family planning commodities such as contraceptives through the UN Population Fund thereby contributing to about nine million children under 12 months of age receiving the oral polio vaccine and seven million women between the ages of 15 and 49 receiving a tetanus toxoid vaccine. This has allowed Bangladesh to be polio-free since 2006 and eliminated neonatal tetanus since 2008. In addition an estimated 9.5 million children between 24 and 59 months of age received de-worming tablets to prevent or eliminate intestinal worms that rob the body of essential nutrients; approximately 1.2 million children under five received respiratory infection treatment; and 400 000 children received treatment for diarrhea. Reproductive health commodities helped meet family planning needs helping to reduce the number of children born per woman from 3.0 to 2.7 over the last five years a key result in one of the most densely-populated countries in the world. These results have contributed to improving the quality and delivery of health services especially for poor women and children by reducing shortages of contraceptives drugs and equipment and increasing the use of essential drugs and vaccines. The project was also successful in directing emergency drugs and medical supplies to high priority areas following the severe floods and cyclones in 2007 and 2009.