| dc.description.abstract | This is basically a study of certain specified issues of infant
and childhood mortality. Although the topic suggests that it
covers a whole district, the data collected was from 3 divisions
classified as low, medium and high potential zones. The results
from these were then used to make inferences about the state of
infant and childhood mortality in the whole district.
From the 3 sampled divisions, a sample of 100 women who had
experienced an infant or a childhood mortality was drawn and a
questionnaire administered to them. The data from these
questionnaires were used to discuss the inherent infant and
childhood mortality differentials in the study area. These
differentials are discussed using the four variables namely; socioeconomic,
demographic, ecological and medical. The socio-economic
variables include marital status and education level of the mother.
The demographic variables include birth order of the dead child,
birth intervals, age of the mother and the total population
density; ecological variables include agricultural production in
terms of cash crops and finally medical variables namely medical
personnel and facilities and their accessibility and availability
to the sampled population.
Another objective discussed in this research is the cause of infant
and childhood mortality. These were categorized into pathological
diseases namely broncho-pneumonia, malaria, meningitis,
gastroenteritis and tetanus. Other causes of death considered are
burns, prematurity and birth disorders. The data for this
information was from hospital records and the District Registrar
of Births and Deaths.
Among the major findings of this research was that bronchopneumonia
was the leading killer disease followed by malaria and
measles. In the differentials, the married women had the highest
occurrences of infant and childhood mortality followed by the
single women and then the widowed and the separated. Women with
some secondary school education had the lowest incidence of infant.
and childhood mortality, while those who had some primary school
eduction contributed the highest numbers. In testing the hypothesis
it was found out that socio-economic, demographic and medical
variables had an influence on the occurrence and distribution of
infant and childhood mortality and as such the null hypotheses were
rejected.
This study concluded that infant and childhood mortality in the
study area was basically as a result of non-immunizable dieases
such as pneumonia and malaria. This may be attributed to the
Ministry of Health's KEPI programme which seems to have made an
impact whereby immunisable diseases have been brought under control
though by no means eliminated. Most parents were now taking child
immunization seriously although they may relapse on the schedules.
Nutrition and hygiene have a big role to play in the reduction of
occurrences of infant and childhood mortality.
The study therefore recommends more education on nutrition, hygiene
and child health with special emphasis on community based
participation in providing health care facilities and even paying
for health personnel With meager Government resources, the only
way health for all can be achieved is if the community becomes more
responsible for its own health. | en |
