Global Study On Child Poverty And Disparities (PDF) - Social Policy ...

Trends over time
Estimates from the 1999 census indicate that
infant mortality was 27 per 1,000 live births and
under-five mortality was 33 per 1,000 live births
(Ministry of Health, MICS Survey Report, 2008).
Thus the current rates (25 and 30) represent only
a slight decline in the last decade, after a much
sharper decline between 1990 and 1999 (see
Table 4.1). Child and infant mortality rates have
not been examined by region, given the small
sample size of the MICS.
Figure 3.2: Knowledge of the two danger signs of
pneumonia (%)
14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0
4.0
2.0
0
3.6
7.7 8.5 8.0
3.5
11.5
None Primary Secondary None Primary Secondary
Mother’s Education
Wealth Quintile
Young child health outcomes
The 2007 MICS found that 14 per cent of children
under five had suffered from diarrhoea in the
previous two weeks (Table 3.3), which is usually
attributed to poor hygiene and sanitation and
water-related diseases. Less than half (43.1 per
cent) of the children suffering from diarrhoea had
received oral rehydration treatment. Tafea had the
lowest incidence of cases and Shefa the highest,
followed by Sanma; differences between other
areas were smaller. Differences based on urban/
rural location or mother’s education generally
seem small, and no consistent pattern emerged
based on age or wealth.
The MICS found that few mothers or caretakers
could recognize two danger signs of pneumonia
(difficulty breathing and fast breathing), but most
(72.3 per cent) would take their child to a health
facility if the child developed a fever. Mothers’
opinions on whether a child should be taken to a
clinic in other circumstances varied widely across
regions, but not consistently between regions
on all health matters. Differences by mother’s
education and by wealth quintile are illustrated
in Figure 3.2; of the two, differences are larger
across wealth quintiles.
Source: MICS 2007.
There are significant discrepancies between
reported Figures for immunisation. This may
indicate poor reporting in surveys or poor
knowledge of carers – or that immunisation
programmes have been less successful than
imagined. For example, the PAA reported
measles immunization at 66-75 per cent in 2001-
2003, and the ADB reported that Australianfunded
immunisation programmes helped
to achieve 90 per cent coverage of measles
immunizations in 2006. A review undertaken by
UNICEF and the Ministry of Health in mid 2010
indicated a measles immunization coverage rate
of 80 per cent. The MICS survey in 2007 found,
however, that the immunisation rate among
children 12 to 23 months was only 37 per cent,
and that only one quarter of children were fully
immunised against six diseases. Assessment
of and sustainability of routine immunisation
coverage rates remains an important priority.
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