Infant and child mortality in two counties of Liberia: results of a survey in 1988 and trends since 1984

Int J Epidemiol. 1993:22 Suppl 1:S56-63. doi: 10.1093/ije/22.supplement_1.s56.

Abstract

A baseline survey of childhood mortality in two counties of Liberia in 1984 found the risk of dying before age 5 to be almost one-third. Three years into the Combatting Childhood Communicable Diseases (CCCD) project, a survey using a pregnancy history questionnaire was conducted in the same clusters to determine if any change in mortality had occurred. Reinterviews were done in a subsample and pregnancies were matched from the two surveys to determine levels of missing events. After adjustment for omission, infant mortality was estimated at 180 per 1000, a 25% decline from the estimated 1984 level. Childhood mortality declined by an estimated 28%. Tabulations of death by reported cause using a verbal autopsy questionnaire showed that the risks of neonatal tetanus and fever associated deaths declined significantly. These reductions might have been a direct result of programme activities which were shown by a marked increase in tetanus toxoid immunization and access to antimalarial drugs in the study area.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Child, Preschool
  • Communicable Disease Control
  • Communicable Diseases / mortality*
  • Epidemiologic Methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant Mortality / trends*
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Liberia / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Surveys and Questionnaires