TY - JOUR AU - Hossain, Mohammad Taleb AU - Miazi, Md Mosharaf Hossain AU - Ghani, Abdul PY - 2010/08/12 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Social Life, Economic Status and Health Care Delivery Practices of the People of Bede Community of Bangladesh: A Case Study JF - Stamford Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences JA - S.J. Pharm. Sci VL - 2 IS - 2 SE - Research Articles DO - 10.3329/sjps.v2i2.5823 UR - https://www.banglajol.info/index.php/SJPS/article/view/5823 SP - 48-52 AB - This study was conducted to observe the socio-economical status, living standard and health management <br />practices of the people of the Bede community of Bangladesh. Bedes living in the Savar area of Dhaka <br />district was selected for a case study. To conduct the study, data were obtained through a questionnairebased<br />&nbsp;survey of 700 respondents about their social and economical status, professional practices, standard <br />of living and literacy status, health management and treatment methods used. It has been observed that <br />these mostly nomadic people of the Bede community have a weak socio-economic condition, large family <br />size {(9-16 member family (58.22%); 17-24 member family (22.20%)}, intense smoking habit and a low <br />level of literacy (80.00% people are illiterate). They practice ethno-medicine and snake-charming as their <br />main professional business to earn a living. In offering health care services to people, they use medicaments <br />prepared from various plant and animal parts and minerals and apply various ethno-treatment techniques, <br />like spiritual, physical, mystical and psychological techniques to treat various ailments. Although they <br />practice their age-old traditional system of medicine as their profession to treat others, they have been found <br />to depend largely on Allopathic, Homeopathic and modern Traditional medicines for treating their own <br />illness, particularly when they suffer from&nbsp; diarrhoea, dysentery, small pox, orthopedic problems, and even <br />snake-bite, which is supposed to be their own specialty. Bedes live below the poverty line. <br />&nbsp;<br /><strong>Key words:</strong> Bede community; Social life; Health practices; Economic status<br /><br />DOI: 10.3329/sjps.v2i2.5823<br /><em><br />Stamford Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences</em> Vol.2(2) 2009: 42-47 ER -