A Survey Of Infant And Childhood Mortality In Meru District; Kenya

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.