implementation of the Second National Plan of Action for Nutrition and finalization of Bangladesh’s
first National Maternal Nutrition Guidelines.
Nutrition services coverage improved, with 2021 targets surpassed, thanks to 72 per cent of
health/nutrition workers being trained in infant and young child feeding (IYCF) counselling. Nutrition
counselling reached 1,809,017 pregnant women attending antenatal care (65 per cent, meeting target);
National Vitamin A Plus Campaign reached 21,987,133 children aged 6–59 months (96 per cent,
exceeding 90 per cent target); and IYCF counselling reached 3,757,771 caregivers of children aged 0–
23 months (83 per cent, exceeding 60 per cent target).
UNICEF supported BNNC to develop the Bangladesh road map for the Global Action Plan on Child
Wasting, and the 12 commitments submitted to the Nutrition for Growth Summit 2021. UNICEF
advocacy saw the Iodized Salt Act 2021 endorsed.
Every child learns, from early childhood to adolescence
Sustained UNICEF advocacy contributed to schools reopening on 12 September 2021, for students at
every level (except pre-primary) to attend in-person classes at least one day per week. Safe operations
were supported through the development of school reopening guidelines and mobilization of hygiene
supplies to reach 1.3 million children in 7,100 primary schools.
With UNICEF support, strengthened remote learning enabled continuity of education services during
school closures, reaching 30 million pre-primary to secondary students in 2021. With all students not
yet in classes full-time, UNICEF continues to play a key role in the national task force formed by the
Ministry of Education (MOE) to develop a blended learning strategy and action plan.
A significant UNICEF contribution in 2021 was developing a primary-level, integrated Education
Management Information System (EMIS), now ready for trial. At secondary level, a quick monitoring
system was introduced to monitor school reopening using real-time data.
On 13 September 2021, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina approved the revised National Curriculum
Framework (NCF), which promises to create momentum for qualitative changes in teaching-learning
processes and contribute to children’s improved learning outcomes. UNICEF technical support to NCF
included detailing the subject-based curriculum and developing teaching-learning strategies, materials
and assessment for piloting from 2022; and supporting the Directorate of Secondary and Higher
Education to design innovative pedagogy and formative assessment. School- and classroom-based
assessment was piloted in 100 primary schools.
Direct provision of an accelerated primary education programme, through 100 learning centres,
reached 4,300 of the most marginalized out-of-school children. UNICEF supported adaptation of
psychosocial first aid for use in schools, to address adolescent mental health issues. Under the
Skills4Girls initiative, dedicated efforts continued to be made to reach the marginalized out-of-school
adolescent girls with trades, scaling up the Alternative Learning Programme (ALP) for diverse groups
of out-of-school adolescents.
MOE and MOHFW jointly planned adolescent nutrition interventions to reach 6 million adolescents in
22,000 secondary schools and madrasas. UNICEF supported a baseline survey on nutritional
knowledge, attitude and practice, and creation of online training on adolescent nutrition (completed by
60,000 teachers, managers and service providers).
UNICEF technical assistance facilitated approval of the Day Care Act 2021, based on the success of
community-based day care centres. UNICEF and the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs are
now developing a national protocol to inform childcare in day care centres nationwide.
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