Bangladesh

In 1957, Pathfinder’s founder funded Bangladesh’s national Family Planning Association. This became a model for our work, building the capacity of governments and local organizations to foster sustainable improvements in reproductive health.

By 1978, Pathfinder supported 14 urban NGOs when we decided to launch a community-based system of contraceptive distribution, one of the earliest and most innovative models.

The system focused on expanding acceptance and use of contraception by providing it to women within their own neighborhoods. This model of empowering local women to reach out to their peers with critical services has become a hallmark of our work.

Through more than 30 projects, Pathfinder has played a key role in helping to reach underserved populations, improve the quality of sexual and reproductive health services, and strengthen more than 60 Bangladeshi partner NGOs.

During this time, population growth and total fertility have decreased by half, and the health of women and families is improving.

Despite successes in reducing total fertility, Bangladesh remains one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Yearly flooding and a shortage of trained health personnel—continue to bar women from accessing the services they need.

So Pathfinder is working to reach them. Through our programs, we continue to lead capacity building efforts, as well as improvements in health services for Bangladeshi women, especially those who are hardest to reach.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world—and growing. The current population of Bangladesh is projected to reach 230-250 million by 2050, even if replacement fertility is reached today. With more than 2,500 people per square mile, many Bangladeshis are landless or are forced to live on and cultivate flood-prone land. About a third of the country floods during the monsoon season every year, creating a relief crisis and hampering regular development efforts. Bangladesh is also currently experiencing a nationwide shortage of trained health personnel with only five doctors for every 10,000 people on average and only one doctor per 10,000 people living in rural areas.

Bangladesh is declared by WHO as one of the 58 crisis countries facing an acute human resources for health crisis.

Pathfinder has been a leader in the reproductive health and family planning movement in Bangladesh since the early 1950s. Since that time, through more than 30 projects, Pathfinder has played a key role in helping Bangladesh develop and integrate its national family planning and maternal-child health programs, reach underserved populations, improve quality of services, and build the capacity of partner NGOs.

The Pathfinder country office was established in 1978 and since then Pathfinder has implemented numerous projects focused on improving access to reproductive health care, contraception, and education. Of those projects, three were the largest health programs in the region during their implementation. From 1978 through 2011 Pathfinder has served about 14 percent of Bangladesh's population, urban and rural, in 61 of 64 districts.