Project Lead(s): Fahmida Tofail
Almost 60% of kids in Bangladesh are at risk of poor development due to low body weight (22%) and undernutrition (41%), poverty, and sub-optimal stimulation due to low parenting knowledge.
The mother is usually the key childcare provider and her physical and mental health is a major predictor of child development, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Using the service of home-based workers of community health clinics in rural Bangladesh, the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research will offer a combined intervention that includes both a “Thinking Healthy” program for mothers of children 6 to 12 months old with depressive symptoms and psycho-social stimulation for their children.
Says project leader Dr. Fahmida Tofail: “Previous projects have used only one or the other of the interventions -- depression treatment or child’s psychosocial stimulation. In this approach, we address the mother and child together to produce an optimal child-friendly environment to maximize the investment.”
Project collaborators include the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh, the University of the West Indies, and the Institute for Child Health at University College, London UK.