Abstract:
Bangladesh, one of the world's largest refugee-hosting countries, is home to a growing and highly vulnerable population of displaced Rohingya people who face significant health and nutritional disparities. Malnutrition poses a critical public health challenge among Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN) residing in refugee camps in Ukhiya, Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh. These vulnerable populations face significant nutritional deficiencies due to their living conditions and limited access to resources. To address this key research gap, a cross-sectional study was conducted from February to June 2022 to systematically assess the nutritional status of Rohingya children aged 24 to 59 months in Camp 4, Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar. A total of 137 children were randomly selected from this Camp. Data were collected through a combination of structured parent interviews and standardized anthropometric measurements. Key measurements included weight, height, mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and the presence of edema, all conducted in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) standards, z-scores. The study revealed a higher prevalence of malnutrition among male children compared to their female counterparts in the selected age groups. Male children were found to be acutely malnourished, showing significantly higher rates of wasting and lower MUAC levels than female children, respectively (18.9% vs. 12.3%, p = 0.038; 20.3% vs. 11.8%, p = 0.028). The higher prevalence of stunting (34.1% vs. 30.2%, p = 0.052) and underweight (33.3% vs. 26.7%, p = 0.039) due to chronic malnutrition was also noticed in boys compared to girls. Additionally, the rate of acute malnutrition among Rohingya children in this camp is a major public health concern, surpassing the global acute malnutrition (GAM) rate of 15%. Considering a two-week recall period, the prevalence of distinct morbidities among the children was established: 11.8% suffered only from diarrhea, 5.3% suffered only from fever, and 10.4% experienced only acute respiratory difficulties. Furthermore, 12.5% were found to have suffered concurrent episodes of diarrhea and fever, while 4.6% experienced both fever and acute respiratory problems. The high incidence of these infectious morbidities, both distinct and co-occurring, strongly indicates that infection significantly aggravates the underlying state of malnutrition within this population. In conclusion, the findings of this study highlight a clear pattern of increased vulnerability to both acute and chronic malnutrition among male children. The data strongly suggest that urgent, gender-specific nutrition and health interventions are required to improve child health outcomes and address the identified disparities within this population.
Biography:
Dr. Ayesha Begum is a Professor and acts as the Head of the Department of Applied Food Science and Nutrition at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. She holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Nutrition and Food Science from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, and a Ph.D. in Ecology from Yunnan University, China. Dr. Begum, known for her academic excellence, possesses extensive training in Public Health (from Johns Hopkins University, USA) and Qualitative Research (from ICDDR, B). She now mentors students and leads research published internationally, focusing on public health nutrition, food safety, and developing innovative interventions to combat malnutrition.
