Child Poverty in Mozambique. A Situation and Trend ... - Unicef

Figure 3.10: Prevalence of ARI among children under five by wealth quintile
20
%
16
12
14
8
8
11
8
10
4
0
Source: DHS 2003
Poorest Second poorest Middle Second best off Best off
In addition, the level of ARI symptoms among children living in urban areas was
higher than among those living in rural areas (12.1 per cent and 8.8 per cent
respectively). The percentage of children with ARI symptoms in Maputo City was five
times the percentage in Tete. This could be explained by the higher population density
in urban areas, as ARI are likely to be spread or aggravated by over-crowded housing,
poor quality living environments or pollution. The lower prevalence among children
from poorer or less well educated families could therefore be explained by the fact
that the majority of more highly educated people are located in urban areas.
Children living in urban areas, children from better off families and children whose
mothers had at least a primary level education were much more likely to receive
treatment for ARI symptoms than those from rural areas, those from poor families
and those whose mothers had no education. Children of mothers with secondary
level education, for example, were almost 70 per cent more likely to receive
treatment than children of mothers with no education.
C. Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is another major cause of child morbidity and mortality in Mozambique. The
problem becomes more frequent in children six months and older, when they begin
to crawl and eat complementary food. According to the 2003 DHS, 14 per cent of
children under the age of five had experienced diarrhoea in the two weeks preceding
the survey. Children 6-11 months were most likely to have had diarrhoea (27 per
cent), followed by children in the 12-23 month group (23 per cent). Both boys and girls
are affected.
Among children with diarrhoea, only 49 per cent were taken to a health facility for
treatment, where 71 per cent were given oral rehydration therapy (ORT) solution, an
effective means of treating the dehydration resulting from diarrhoea. 65 per cent of
children whose mothers had no formal education were given ORT compared with 97
per cent of children whose mother had secondary or higher education.
CHILDHOOD POVERTY IN MOZAMBIQUE: A SITUATION AND TRENDS ANALYSIS
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