Journal of Biomedical Advancement Scientific Research

Abstract

Community Partners International, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University (BRACJPGSPH), and Johns Hopkins University collaborated to implement a study investigating family formation among young Rohingya living in Cox’s Bazar, and how this has been affected by their forcible displacement from Myanmar.

The study was funded by Elrha’s Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) programme which aims to improve health outcomes by strengthening the evidence base for public health interventions in humanitarian crises. R2HC is funded by the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Wellcome and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).

A desk review of local and international policies and strategies that target countering child marriage in humanitarian settings was performed. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from boys and girls in two age groups: 1519 and 20-24, from 15 camps at Ukhiya and Teknaf Upazilas of Cox’s Bazar district. The research finds consistent preferences for marriage at 18, and childbearing soon after. It also finds potential for more family planning to support spacing later births.

In order to make major changes to the preference for early marriage and childbearing, a shift in the security and socioeconomic situation in the camps will be required. These will be long term processes, but they will be vital. In the short term, focus should be on targeting families with one child, as well as comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education before the age of 18.