Lesssons from successful experiences

Abstract

Over the past eighteen years since its liberation, Bangladesh has been trying to achieve economic development and societal modernization to alleviate widespread poverty. Unfortunately, the government's efforts have largely failed to extend benefits to a vast majority of the rural poor. The situation is not much different in the population sector. Although containing the high rate of population growth is considered a top priority by the government. achievements have become very modest. In the backdrop of such a disquieting scenario, extending benefits and services to the poor at the grass-roots level has increasingly become an abiding concern for the government and non-government organization’s a-iGOsJ alike "Special" programmes were undertaken by the government and various NGOs. Some of these were very successfull in attaining certain objectives, but others were not. In this chapter, we have looked at six different projects which are either addressing the question of family planning exclusively or are involved with much wider development interventions. The project run by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (ICDDR,B) in Matlab has been quite successful in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) and in reducing the fertility levels. The project of the Centre to rep1ic:ue the Matlab experience in the normal government programme in two upazilas has so far achieved mixed results. In the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC), family planning is not a priority but through the successful implementation of other programme elements such as female education, health, nutrition, employment, generation conscicntisation and empowerment. Women's development. etc .. the proximate determinants of fertility arc being effectively addressed. The question of activating the government system to provide better health and family planning services was addressed by the Munshiganj (GTZ) project. Different innovative programmes of Gonoshasthya Kendra (GK) are addressing the health. family planning and women's status questions. CARE is helping the government in its immunisation programme and Bangladesh Women's Health Coalition (BWHO is concentrating on women's reproductive health and clinical contraceptives. The: reasons behind the apparent "success" of these projects are discussed and their limitations pointed out.