CHILDREN MORTALITY FROM COMMUNICABLE DISEASES INCHILD TEACHING HOSPITAL

Abstract

Hospital based data on mortality rate from communicable diseases is a reflection
of what is obtainable in a community at large. Therefore; data obtained from such
review is usually beneficial in re-evaluating existing services and in improving
facilities and patients care. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mortality
pattern of children admitted into the Children Teaching Hospital from February
2004 to December 2006. There were 3,267 admissions during the study period. The
medical charts of all patients aged one month to 16 years were recorded, neonatal
and surgical cases were excluded. One hundred and seventy one deaths occurred in
the children giving mortality rate of 5.2%. Fifty two patients (88%) were under 5
years. Most of the deaths occurred between January and March. The commonest
causes of death were pneumonia, bacterial meningitis; while 12% of patients were
above 5 years of age, the visceral leishmaniasis and pneumonia were the
predominant causes. Health intervention programs such as integrated management
of childhood illnesses and primary health care, which have been shown to reduce
childhood deaths significantly, need to be intensified in order to achieve the MDG4
by 2015.