World Bank US$120m funding to benefit Bangladesh’s pregnant women

The fund will also improve the nutrition of moms with children aged under four.

The World Bank approved the funding of US$210m for Bangladesh Enhancing Investments and Benefits for Early Years (BEIBEY) Project, which aims to improve nutrition and provide counselling services to mothers in Bangladesh.

Over 1.7 million pregnant women and mothers of children under 4 years of age in vulnerable households will benefit from this fund.

“Ensuring adequate nutrition prenatally and in the first 1,000 days of life, and responsive caregiving throughout childhood, help maximize a child’s brain development and health,” Abdoulaye Seck, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said in a statement.

“This enables them to be more productive and earn more when they grow up. The project will help poor mothers be informed on timely and appropriate care for their children and provide income support to act on that learning to improve their children’s health and wellbeing,” he added.

The project also intends to back the expansion and strengthening of the government’s existing social protection program, the Mother and Child Benefit Programme (MCBP).

“The project is financed by a credit from the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA), which provides concessional financing, and has a 30-year term with a five-year grace period,” read the statement.