Adolescents in Bangladesh: Programmatic Approaches to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education and Services
The health of Bangladesh’s 29.5 million adolescents, who make up nearly one-fifth of the country’s total population, is critical to the country’s future, but issues surrounding adolescent sexual and reproductive health remain taboo. ASRH initiatives have been implemented by both the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), but with limited coordination, documentation or evaluation, making it difficult to know what worked well and what did not. It is critical to identify, invest in, and accelerate the expansion of approaches to ASRH programming that have been proven, through strong evidence, to effectively and efficiently provide SRH information and services that meet the needs of adolescents. Understanding what works and what does not for adolescent SRH interventions will help inform the scale-up of promising interventions, minimize duplicative efforts, and ensure efficient use of available resources.
This report presents findings from a comprehensive review and situation analysis of ASRH programming in Bangladesh, carried out by the Evidence Project/Population Council, with financial support from USAID/Bangladesh, as part of a larger research initiative on “Improved Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health (ASRH) Outcomes in Bangladesh.” The objective of the review was to identify programmatic and evidence gaps, as well as best practices, and support the development of effective, inclusive, and sustainable ASRH programs that can operate at scale.