Project 9

Course Code and Name: MSJ 11401 Development Communication

Project Name: Communication Campaign Plan

Title: Understanding the health condition of Pregnant women and newly mother living in Nabi Nagar Housing

Project Date: Spring 2021

Project Description:  

This project focused on understanding the health conditions of pregnant women and new mothers living in Nabi Nagar Housing, a densely populated area where families live in extreme poverty and lack access to proper healthcare. Through field visits and interviews, we explored their awareness of maternal health, the challenges they face during pregnancy and childbirth, and their access to medical facilities. The study aimed to highlight the real-life struggles of these women, particularly in terms of nutrition, medical care, and social support, while identifying potential solutions to improve their health and well-being.  

Project Justification:

Maternal health is a crucial issue, yet many underprivileged women in Bangladesh continue to suffer due to poor living conditions, early marriage, lack of education, and limited healthcare access. Our findings revealed that many of these women married and had children before the age of 18, with little to no knowledge of prenatal and postnatal care. Some avoided medical visits due to financial constraints, while others relied on traditional midwives instead of hospitals, sometimes leading to life-threatening complications. Malnutrition, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of awareness further contributed to their struggles. Addressing these issues is essential not only for improving maternal health but also for breaking the cycle of poverty and ensuring a better future for their children.  

Project Produced under this Course:

Final Assignment

Submitted to : Dilshad Hossain Dodul (Senior Lecturer)

Course: MSJ 11401 Development Communication

Section: 04

Submitted by: Group 9

Group members: 

1. Jarin Anan (192011121)
2. Tanushree Biswas (192013041)
3. Nisat Tasnim Maisha (201011078)
4. Mrinmoy kumar Shil (201012056)
5. Sanchita Barman Mim (181012076)

Understanding the health condition of Pregnant women and newly mother living in Nabi Nagar Housing

Childbearing is an important part of women’s lives. To understand the health condition of pregnant women and who have just become a mother we visited a densely populated area called Nobi Nagar Housing at Dhaka Uddan, where at least 5 people live together in a 10 feet by 10 feet room. The privacy almost doesn’t exist among the residents, they all use a common washroom and kitchen. Chaos has become their part of life. Every single change in the economy or in weather has a great impact in their daily life. None of them are local to Dhaka.  They have moved to Dhaka with their families in search of a better life. Most of them are not educated, they work as day laborers. Not only men, in most cases women do work too. They live from hand to mouth. 

Our aim was to find out how much these women and their family members are concerned about the health care of the pregnant woman and their unborn child. 

Findings: 

We had conducted 8 Interviews of different women who have recently given birth to their babies, and two women who are pregnant (one just found about her pregnancy 1month ago, and other one is 9 months pregnant)  All of them got married and had their first child before the age of 18. 

None of them has completed their highschool education. When asked whether they visited the doctor throughout the pregnancy, only four reported that they visited the doctor regularly for checkups even when they had no problems. 

One of them who went to the doctor regularly, did not go to the doctor during delivery but went to the village midwife and had a normal delivery.

A woman needed an emergency cesarean due to drying up of amniotic fluid, and was operated against her will, which she is not at all happy about.  According to her, it is a complete scam by the doctors, as her mother gave normal delivery to her 9 siblings. She is a working woman, so this seizure left her crippled. She also had High blood Pressure, itchiness in the vaginal area during the pregnancy but never consulted with experts. Where other women got in touch with the Health workers who provide door-to-door services, because of working outside she never got the facilities. 

Her work place was not pregnancy-friendly. 

One who gave birth to her second child developed a tumor at the site of her previous cesarean, causing her to have another cesarean ahead of schedule.

Even if the baby is born healthy, the baby is not getting enough breast milk.  As a result, the one-month-old baby is being fed marketed food.

A mother of 3 children had complications because of Anemia. Fortunately, her three children were delivered normally and healthy. 

When asked if they face any kind of problem from such a place, they said that everyone around is very helpful so they don’t face any problem.  Besides, their mothers from their village home have come to help them.

The girl who is not sure if her age is 18 or 19, is one month pregnant. She has no idea about what to do during pregnancy, whether to talk to the doctor or not.  She had her pregnancy tested with a pregnancy kit. She also doesn’t know that it could be some other disease besides pregnancy.

All of them had and continue to have feeding problems. Doctors had prescribed them to take medicine, some are taking the pills, some are not. 

A girl with an ovarian cyst took a long time treatment to have a baby.  Her family is well off and much more health conscious than other girls’ families. 

Money plays a very important role here.  How often and what type of hospital they go to for treatment depends on their financial status.

Solution: 

Eradicating the problems of child marriage and early motherhood in an economically weak country like Bangladesh is a very difficult task. In rural villages, girls are considered a burden to their family. So they try to get the girls married and sent to other families as soon as possible. 

But no one thinks about the curse that comes in the lives of these girls. To save girls from this problem, the government as well as everyone should come forward equally. 

1. As stipends are given to girls to continue their studies, it is important to ensure that they are receiving them properly.
2. Apart from age, there should be a requirement of education for girls in marriage. 
3. What are the problems of child marriage and having children at a young age should be included in the textbooks. At least from fifth grade to eighth grade. Not only girls but also boys should be informed about these things.  
4. Not only from text books, NGOs working on health should go directly to schools and talk to students, which will be more effective.
5. It is not enough to just talk to the students, their parents should be made aware first.  In that case, schools or NGOs can organize a focus group discussion, where the parents of the children can also know about the problems and what to do.
6. Due to low income, parents want to marry off their daughters.  Therefore, girls should also be given the opportunity to earn or improve their skills during their studies.  With which not only the family, she herself can be financially independent.
7. Easy access to medical care (quality maternity care services) should be provided especially in villages.  Because the women who are living from the village, are the ones who later move to the village to give birth.
8. These pregnant women have a problem with eating. Many people think that if you eat more, the baby in the womb will grow bigger, as a result, normal delivery will not happen.  They should be disabused of this idea, and a chart should be handed to them with the foods they can and cannot eat.
9. Young married couples should be encouraged to use condoms or the pill to prevent unwanted pregnancies.
10. A healthy environment should be provided for those who are living and giving birth in unhealthy environments.  Clean water, food security must be ensured.
11. Those who have two children before should be discouraged from having more children. They need to be made aware of the health risks of having more children.
12. Women should be informed about the common health problems during pregnancy.  So that they know when they should go to the doctor if they feel any kind of discomfort.  In this case, door-to-door health care workers will play a very important role.
13. Both husband and wife should undergo counseling in case of child bearing.  Although the mother carries the child, the father also has a very important role here.  A husband should have a clear idea of ​​what to do to ensure the health of his wife.
14. Most of the women here have internet access, social media and various platforms can be used to influence them by creating different content and spreading awareness.
15. Important messages can also be conveyed to pregnant women and their families through advertisements on national TV channels, mobile SMS, local postering or performance art.
16. Sometimes campaign or focus group discussion is not enough. To influence the parents or the partner, there needs to be a Public figure (who can be the chairman, religious leader or a celebrity) to make them understand about the cons of early marriage and pregnancy. 
17. Mental health is a big concern during and after pregnancy, but no woman is that much aware of this.It should also be treated with equal importance as physical fitness. Whenever someone goes for health care, she should also be made aware of mental health.

Conclusion:

As the population of the world is increasing day by day, the quality of living environment is decreasing. Even after living in 2022, we are still not aware of our health. Since girls have to play an important role from housekeeping to child bearing to rearing, they should be aware of their physical and mental health. Childbirth is an unearthly feeling, as well as being aware of one’s own well-being is important.  A sick mother can never raise a healthy child. It is not only important for the mother and child but also for the society. So every person in the society should be equally involved in it. 

Learnings and Outcomes (Self-Reflection):

This project provided me with deep insights into the harsh realities faced by marginalized pregnant women and new mothers. It strengthened my research and analytical skills as I engaged in real-life interviews, collected data, and assessed the critical gaps in maternal healthcare. I realized the importance of education and awareness in changing deep-rooted societal beliefs about pregnancy and childbirth. The experience also enhanced my ability to think critically and propose practical solutions, reinforcing my passion for social advocacy. Most importantly, it emphasized the role of media and communication in addressing public health issues and driving meaningful change in underprivileged communities.