Bangladesh

In Bangladesh, breastfeeding impacts families, communities, and the economy.

There are serious health and economic consequences associated with not breastfeeding.

Globally, the World Health Assembly (WHA) has set a target to increase the exclusive breastfeeding rate to 50% by 2025. By the time these targets were set in 2012, Bangladesh had already reached a national exclusive breastfeeding rate of 64%. In recent years, however, breastfeeding rates have slipped. As of 2014, 55% of children under the age of six months are exclusively breastfed. More must be done to drive progress and ensure all children are able to thrive.

 

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Bangladesh facts

165+ million (M)

$250+ billion (B)

55%
The global goal: All countries reach an exclusive rate of 50% by 2025.
Bangladesh 55%
Global Goal: 50%
55%
50%
Annually, inadequate breastfeeding in Bangladesh results in:
6,000
preventable child deaths.

When a child is not breastfed, that child is less likely to survive. He or she is more likely to contract life-threatening illnesses and be less able to fight off sicknesses.

5M
cases of diarrhea and pneumonia.

Children who are not breastfed are more likely to drink unclean water (in formula) and have less developed immune systems. This means they are more prone to contracting diarrhea-causing pathogens and pneumonia. The effects can be life-long.

$534M+
in household costs.

When a child is not breastfed, families need to purchase breastmilk substitutes like formula, which is costly, especially for families in low-and middle- income countries.

$5M
in health care system treatment costs.

When children are not breastfed, both children and mothers are more likely to get sick and need to seek out treatment. This results in significant treatment costs for health systems.

The human costs of not breastfeeding in Bangladesh

There are serious health consequences associated with not breastfeeding.

When children are not breastfed, they are at higher risk of illness and death. Later in life, mothers who do not breastfeed are more prone to develop life-altering and life-threatening cancers and Type II diabetes.

Impact of not breastfeeding on morbidity and mortality in:

 

  Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Diarrhea 4,484,389 1,867
Acute respiratory infections/pneumonia 229,195 4,081
Obesity 1,412 Not Available
Disease Preventable cases Preventable Deaths
Breast cancer 479 101
Ovarian cancer 50 36
Type II diabetes 4,576 473
The economic costs of not breastfeeding in Bangladesh

There are serious economic consequences to not breastfeeding.

Currently, Bangladesh suffers economic losses because only 55% of children are exclusively breastfed. These economic losses are the result of:

  • Higher health systems costs, as children and mothers develop illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding practices;
  • Lost productivity, as children who were not breastfed are less likely to fully develop and fully contribute to the economy, and;
  • Higher household expenditures, as families need to purchase breastmilk substitutes like formula when they do not breastfeed their children

Impact of not breastfeeding on:

 

In Bangladesh, health systems incur costs when treating illnesses that could have been prevented by breastfeeding.

Type II diabetes in mothers $120,624
Diarrhea in children $4,141,156
Acute respiratory infection/pneumonia in children $611,618
Total in USD $4,873,398
Total as a % of Gross National Income (GNI) 0.003%

When families do not breastfeed their children, they need to purchase formula. This results in the following household costs.

In USD $534,247,573
Total as a % of nominal wages Not Available
Select a GDP growth rate

The health of an economy impacts a child’s earning potential. Put simply, the earning potential of a child living in a country with a low GDP will be smaller than that of a child living in a country with a high GDP. As GDP grows, a child’s lifetime earning potential grows. Yet, inadequate breastfeeding can limit a child’s development and earning potential.

See how different rates of GDP growth impact costs of not breastfeeding

Make a selection below:

Economic losses in Bangladesh due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 0%

Currently, 55% of children are exclusively breastfed in Bangladesh. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $94,551,827
Maternal mortality 55055700.00%
Combined child and maternal mortality $95,102,384
Total as % GNI 0.050%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$318,356,608
As a % GNI0.166%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$418,332,390
As a % GNI0.219%

Economic losses in Bangladesh due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 3%

Currently, 55% of children are exclusively breastfed in Bangladesh. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $314,970,437
Maternal mortality 65548300.00%
Combined child and maternal mortality $315,625,920
Total as % GNI 0.165%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$1,060,507,484
As a % GNI0.554%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$1,381,006,802
As a % GNI0.722%

Economic losses in Bangladesh due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 5%

Currently, 55% of children are exclusively breastfed in Bangladesh. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $753,164,751
Maternal mortality $736,562
Combined child and maternal mortality $753,901,313
Total as % GNI 0.394%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$2,535,910,556
As a % GNI1.326%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$3,294,685,267
As a % GNI1.722%

Economic losses in Bangladesh due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 7%

Currently, 55% of children are exclusively breastfed in Bangladesh. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $1,892,067,149
Maternal mortality $827,828
Combined child and maternal mortality $1,892,894,977
Total as % GNI 0.989%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$6,370,602,249
As a % GNI3.330%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$8,268,370,625
As a % GNI4.322%

Economic losses in Bangladesh due to inadequate breastfeeding when the country's GDP is growing at 10%

Currently, 55% of children are exclusively breastfed in Bangladesh. Explore the data below to see how the economic losses of inadequate breastfeeding at this rate change as the GDP grows more quickly or slowly.

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to preventable deaths.

Child mortality $8,084,174,209
Maternal mortality $986,585
Combined child and maternal mortality $8,085,160,794
Total as % GNI 4.226%

The cost of inadequate breastfeeding due to cognitive losses

Total in USD$27,219,466,514
As a % GNI14.228%

The total cost of inadequate breastfeeding (combined health system, mortality, and cognitive losses)

Total in USD$35,309,500,706
As a % GNI18.456%
Next steps in Bangladesh

For Bangladesh to thrive at the family, community, and national levels, breastfeeding rates and practices must improve.

Building and sustaining momentum around breastfeeding requires effective policy advocacy and social behavior change that combines interpersonal communications, mass media, and community-level programming. Reliable and timely data on rates and behaviors is critical to inform an approach that positions us to achieve global breastfeeding goals.

Tools & Resources: Global

This tool can be used to help inform policy actions, such as those recommended by the Global Breastfeeding Collective.

 
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