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  • Title: Child health and survival remains poor in Malawi.
    Journal: Newsl Macro Syst Inst Resour Dev Demogr Health Surv; 1994; 6(2):5, 8. PubMed ID: 12288151.
    Abstract:
    The results of the 1992 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) in Malawi show that Malawi still has one of the highest levels of mortality for less than 5 year old children in the world ( 5 mortality = 25%). During the last 10 years, an increase in postneonatal mortality has offset the modest decrease in neonatal mortality. Infant mortality has hovered around 135/1000 live births since the early 1980s. More children in Malawi suffer from chronic undernutrition (stunting) than in any African country surveyed by DHS. In fact, almost 50% of all less than 5 year old children are stunted. Another 6.7% suffer from wasting (acute undernutrition). Poor infant feeding practices contribute to undernutrition and increased vulnerability to death. Just 3% of less than 4 month old infants are exclusively breast fed. 75% of 2-3 month olds receive supplementary feedings. On the other hand, progress has occurred in the provision of basic maternal and child health services. Just 3% of 12-23 month old children have had no vaccinations. 85% have received all their vaccinations. 97% have received their BCG vaccine and the first dose of DPT and polio vaccine. A trained health professional has provided prenatal care to mothers for 90% of recent births. 86% of mothers have had at least 1 dose of tetanus toxoid during pregnancy. More than 50% of recent births occurred at a health facility. The maternal mortality ratio is still high (620/100,000 births). Even though contraceptive use is increasing and fertility is falling (1984-1992, 1-7% using a modern method and 7.5-6.7, respectively), fertility is still high. Ideal family size has fallen from 5 to 6 between 1984 and 1992. Age at first marriage and age at first birth have increased slightly. These findings suggest that Malawi is just entering the demographic transition. AIDS remains a serious public health problem with many people having little knowledge about it, about modes of transmission, and about means of prevention.
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