Factors Associated With Infant And Child Mortality At Kuluva Hospital,Arua District

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction. Child mortality also called under five mortality is the number of deaths of infants and children under the age of five .Infant and child mortality being a basic indicators of a countries socio economic situation and quality of life, a cross sectional study was done in August 2018 at Kuluva hospital to assess factors associated with infant and child mortality in Vuura subcounty. . Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the factors associated with infant and child mortality at Kuluva hospital, Arua district”. Methods: Simple random sampling method was used to select study respondents and 92 respondents. Were selected for the study and a pre- tested questionnaire was used to collect data from them. The data was analyzed using SPSS and presented as a narrative and as figures. Results: The findings were such that the maternal and child factors associated with infant and child mortality at Kuluva hospital were financial status of the mother (R= - 0.481, P= 0.001) and maternal level of education (R= 0.651; P= 0.0001). and rules out Maternal age, child’s gestational age, duration of breastfeeding feeding, child’s weight and health status of preceding child as causes of infant and child mortality. The socio-economic factors contributing to infant and child mortality and morbidity at Kuluva hospital were poverty (83.3%) associated with occupation of being a peasant and inability meet financial obligations and long distance to nearest health facility (73.3%) coupled with lack of transport money (47.8%). The health and facility related factors contributing to infant and child mortality and morbidity at Kuluva hospital was inadequacy of health workers by numbers (83.7%), ( P= 0.003) Conclusion: Maternal level of education, maternal financial status and adequacy of health workers and distance of nearest health facility were found to be important predictors of infant and child mortality whereas child related factors were found to have an independent relationship with child mortality . Recommendations: The government of Uganda through its ministry of education and sports further enforces and strengthens its universal primary and secondary education programs to raise literacy levels so as to minimize infant and child mortality. It was also recommended that the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau should build and equip more health centers to reduce on distance travelled to the nearest health facility. The management of Kuluva hospital should recruit more staff in order to improve on its staffing numbers and it should as well find more partners and donors in order to further reduce costs of the services it renders to the people. This will improve health seeking behavior of these people and subsequently lower the infant and child morbidity and mortality.ABSTRACT Introduction. Child mortality also called under five mortality is the number of deaths of infants and children under the age of five .Infant and child mortality being a basic indicators of a countries socio economic situation and quality of life, a cross sectional study was done in August 2018 at Kuluva hospital to assess factors associated with infant and child mortality in Vuura subcounty. . Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the factors associated with infant and child mortality at Kuluva hospital, Arua district”. Methods: Simple random sampling method was used to select study respondents and 92 respondents. Were selected for the study and a pre- tested questionnaire was used to collect data from them. The data was analyzed using SPSS and presented as a narrative and as figures. Results: The findings were such that the maternal and child factors associated with infant and child mortality at Kuluva hospital were financial status of the mother (R= - 0.481, P= 0.001) and maternal level of education (R= 0.651; P= 0.0001). and rules out Maternal age, child’s gestational age, duration of breastfeeding feeding, child’s weight and health status of preceding child as causes of infant and child mortality. The socio-economic factors contributing to infant and child mortality and morbidity at Kuluva hospital were poverty (83.3%) associated with occupation of being a peasant and inability meet financial obligations and long distance to nearest health facility (73.3%) coupled with lack of transport money (47.8%). The health and facility related factors contributing to infant and child mortality and morbidity at Kuluva hospital was inadequacy of health workers by numbers (83.7%), ( P= 0.003) Conclusion: Maternal level of education, maternal financial status and adequacy of health workers and distance of nearest health facility were found to be important predictors of infant and child mortality whereas child related factors were found to have an independent relationship with child mortality . Recommendations: The government of Uganda through its ministry of education and sports further enforces and strengthens its universal primary and secondary education programs to raise literacy levels so as to minimize infant and child mortality. It was also recommended that the Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau should build and equip more health centers to reduce on distance travelled to the nearest health facility. The management of Kuluva hospital should recruit more staff in order to improve on its staffing numbers and it should as well find more partners and donors in order to further reduce costs of the services it renders to the people. This will improve health seeking behavior of these people and subsequently lower the infant and child morbidity and mortality.