The health of adults in the developing world: the view from Bangladesh*

Introduction It is rare for a book to simultaneously point out a neglected research area, convincingly demonstrate the importance of the area through research and analysis, and set out an agenda for both action and research. The Health of Adults in the Developing World, by Richard Feachem and others in the World Bank group, does just this. One of their findings, which influenced much of their own research, is that very little good information exists on adult ill health and its consequences in the developing world. Rather than debating the significance of adult health I would like to add some data from Bangladesh, a poorer developing country than those considered by the World Bank group, to the discussion.