Country: Bangladesh
Closing date: 09 Oct 2019
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Bangladesh has made significant strides in economic development over the years despite political turbulence and vulnerability to natural disasters. Despite this notable improvement the country continues to experience very high rates of malnutrition, which is a consequence of multiple factors, including poor infant and young child feeding practices, frequent infections, poor access to food and health care, inadequate sanitation and handwashing practices, poor maternal education, child marriage, early first birth, and the degraded status of girls and women in family and society.
Adolescents aged 10-19 years form one-fifth of the total population in Bangladesh. They also represent the country’s future. To enable optimal growth and development over the adolescent period, good nutrition is vital. In Bangladesh, many adolescents suffer from inadequate micro and macro nutrient intake prerequisite for achieving their potential for healthy growth and learning. Given that one-third of adolescent girls are already mothers or pregnant, the impact of poor nutrition on the next generation is a further concern.
The only recent national data from the 2014 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) indicate that the nutritional status of adolescent girls is unsatisfactory in Bangladesh. The prevalence of short stature is higher in rural (39.9%) than urban areas (34.5%) among girls aged 15-19 years. There has been a decline in thinness (BMI-for-age z-score <-2 SD) in girls aged 15-19 years from 9.9% in 1999-2000 to 6.4% in 2014 but remains a problem, while overweight (BMI-for-age z-score >1 SD) has risen by 6.5 percentage points (pp) during the same period. Anemia in adolescent girls aged 15-19 years is more prevalence in rural (40.4%) than urban (36.1%) areas. But there is limitation of data to understand total scenarios of nutrition status of the adolescent groups 10-19 years.
UNICEF and the World Bank jointly worked to generate evidence-based information through analyzing existing nationally representative datasets which was aiming to understand the total scenarios of nutrition status of adolescents aged 10-15 years and contribute in strengthening adolescent programme design and policy change in Bangladesh. Till now, the joint efforts accomplished two phases of research work and prepared reports. In first phase analysis, secondary data analysis from the Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance Project (FSNSP) provided a unique opportunity to understand the nature and geographic dimensions of adolescent malnutrition in Bangladesh and how it is evolving over time. The analysis was focused on girls, the situation analysis explored regional and urban-rural patterns in various measures of adolescent undernutrition and overnutrition, dietary diversity, household food security, and growth dynamics over this critical period of development. The issue of adolescent nutrition is also situated within Bangladesh’s broader policy context to ascertain opportunities for greater intersectoral investment and strategic programming. The findings of phase I research work with decision makers of the relevant ministries through policy round table discussion and policy brief.
Second Phase analysis looked for the answers that how can nutrition program address the ill health and under-nutrition of adolescents? Global evidence shows that interventions like school feeding program, nutrition education, IFA (Iron Folic Acid) supplementation and reduction in child marriage through awareness rising can be very effective in improving several types of illness and nutritional status of adolescents aged 10-19 years. School feeding program (SFP) produces a high return in the areas of education, gender equality, and health and nutrition; social protection and local economies and agriculture (WFP, 2019). Lassi et al. (2017) show that weekly IFA supplementation reduces anemia and improves serum hemoglobin concentration among adolescent girl (Chong et al., 2016). Multiple Micro Nutrient supplement (MMNS) intervention (twice in a week) can reduce anemia among adolescent girls by 71% (Ahmed et al., 2012). WHO recommends deworming tablets including albendazole to treat periodically to all at-risk population, more importantly once in a year to the population where the prevalence of STH infections is 20% to 50% and twice in a year where the prevalence is more than 50% (WHO, 2006). Interventions involving nutrition education along with physical activities at the school can reduce disease burden (Cariaga, 2012; Kodama, 2008).
Second phase research work conducted by BRAC University and Dhaka University supported by the World Bank and UNICEF focused on ex-ante cost-benefit analysis for the evidence-based six interventions for adolescents in Bangladesh. Based on the findings from second phase research work, a policy brief has been developed and shared with policy makers from different relevant ministries, who can contribute in allocation of budget and implementation of adolescent nutrition program in Bangladesh.
At this stage, it is important to prepare manuscripts/papers from the detail analysis reports for journal publication. UNICEF would like to engage one international expert who can support to produce two manuscripts/papers for journal publication.
Purpose of Activity/Assignment:
The key purpose of this assignment is to hire the services of an international consultant to produce two manuscripts/papers for journal publication from the two detail reports already developed after research works.
The selected consultant will be responsible for following tasks:
Deliverables:
● First draft of two manuscripts/papers (10 working days - 8 days distance work and 2 days in Dhaka)
● Submit final version to the renowned journals (5 working days)
● Publications of two papers in the reputed journals (7 working days)
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Remarks:
How to apply:
UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of our organization. To apply, click on the following link http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=526571