| dc.description.abstract | HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among infants and children in Kenya. Other known causes of death among this age group in Kenya include; malaria, respiratory and diarrheal diseases, infectious diseases associated with HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and traffic accidents. In Kenya, heterosexual contact accounts for 75 percent of all HIV infections. Another mode of transmission is through vertical transmission, whereby the mother passes the HIV virus to the child during pregnancy, at the time of birth or through breast feeding. HIV causes substantial mortality among African. children, but there is limited data on how this is influenced by maternal or infant infection status and timing.
In Kenya, there is no known empirical evidence linking mother's HIV status and childhood mortality. However research findings elsewhere, have linked maternal HIV status and childhood mortality based on theoretical evidence on vertical HIV transmission from mother to child. This study therefore, seeks to establish the link between mother's HIV status and infant and child mortality in Kenya.
The specific objective of this study was to examine the effects of mother's HIV status on infant and child mortality at two levels; those infants aged 0 - 11 months, and the children aged between 12 months and 59 months. The study also investigated the magnitude. of the effects of some selected socio-economic, maternal and environmental factors on infant and child mortality. The study utilized the KDHS, 2003 data. The main independent variable of the study was HIV status of the mother. The control variables used in the study were: Maternal age of the mother at birth, birth order, sex of child and antenatal care; education, marital status, place of residence, region, work status and wealth index; toilet facility, floor material anq source of drinking water.
Mosley and Chen frame work (1984), was used to conceptualize and operationalize the study. The framework links the individual child health with the underlying socioeconomic factors. The mother's HIV status depends on the underlying socioeconomic factors, which will in turn affect the health status of the mother and that of the child. Bivariate statistics and multivariate techniques namely, logistic regression was used for data analysis. The results of the bivariate analysis showed that, there is a significant association between child mortality (age 12-59 months) and mother's HIV status in Kenya.
The results indicate that, 18 percent of the dead children were born to mv positive mothers compared to 9 percent dead children born to mothers who had tested negative. On the other hand, results from the multivariate analysis revealed that, mother's HIV status affects child mortality. Those children born to mothers who had tested HIV positive were 2 times (120 percent) more likely to die compared to those born to HIV negative mothers. Overall factors that were found to be significant to child mortality include: Maternal age at birth, sex of the child, education, marital status, region of residence, floor material and toilet facility.
Contrary to expectations, the study did not find any significant association between mother's HIV status and infant mortali~ those aged 0 - 11 months. However the results showed significant association between marital status of the mothers, toilet facility and infant mortality. This study recommends that, since HIV remains a major challenge in infant and child mortality, the government should take firm stand on ANC and HIV testing for all expectant mothers. PMTCT should be offered at all health facilities because most rural mothers do not go out of their area for antenatal services.
This would enable the expectant mother to have access to the services and to determine their status and if positive take the necessary precautions to save the unborn child. This would go a long way in reducing childhood mortality. The government should further roll-out antiretroviral treatment for both mothers and children. Further, future health education strategies should be put in place to promote maternal and child health care and ensure safe motherhood and reduction in infant and
childhood mortality. | en_US |
