Factors Influencing Infant And Childhood Mortality In Singida Urban District

ABSTRACT

This study is about the factors influencing infant and childhood mortality in Singida Urban District. The study was undertaken in Singida Urban District. The study has involved a sample of 100 respondents comprising those who were interviewed and those who filled questionnaires. This sample was derived by applying purposive and simple random sampling methods. The methods were used to collect information on the factors influencing Infant and childhood Mortality in Singida Urban District. Indeed, the study objective is to assess the factors influencing infant and childhood mortality in Singida Urban District. The SPSS vsersion16 software package was used for data analysis. The findings in this study revealed that, infant and childhood mortality ratio in Tanzania is unacceptably high and still very far from reaching the millennium development goals. Infant and childhood health care services should focus on ensuring there is continuum of care through strengthening the health system and provision of good quality of health care in a well organized referral health system from community level to high facility levels. Study results indicate that, 80% of the respondents claimed to have children dying in less than 24 hours being below 5 and this is the effect of infant and childhood mortality on survival rate. It is therefore, recommended that, there should be regular upgrading of health workers‟ skills especially staff of lower cadre who is the most common service providers at lower level facilities in the rural areas. This should involve supporting more training to assistant medical officers and clinical officers to provide emergency obstetric care services in rural areas where medical doctors are unavailable.