Infant Mortality Rate and Medical Care in Kaliro District

ABSTRACT The purpose of the study was to examine the impact of medical care on infant mortality rate in Kaliro district. Specifically, the study was guided by three objectives. Firstly. to examine the trend of infant mortality rate in Kaliro district from 2006 to 2014: secondly, to establish the relationship between the constructs of medical care and infant mortality rate in Kaliro district using longitudinal data from the year 2006 to 2014 and third to establish the causes of infant mortality rate in Kaliro district using longitudinal data from 2006 to 2014. The study was majorly quantitative in nature. The longitudinal/cross sectional design was used based on secondary data on infant mortality rate and indicators of medical care. Trend analysis (scatter graphs v~ ith fitted linear lines) were used to idcntif~~ the trend of mortality rate: Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) v~ as used to identify relationships among the variables while regression analysis was adopted to identify the significance and likelihood effects of the different medical care constructs. Based on the findings. the study concluded that infant mortality rate has been declining. Medical care access has a significant impact on infant mortality rate. The constructs of’ maternal care. labor and delivery care access, access to health services and immunization coverage, have significant influence on infant mortality rate: that is to say. reduces the likelihood of infant mortality rate. The study recommended that: there is need for district health officers to carry out massive sensitization among pregnant mothers to attend antenatal and postnatal health care services to ensure safe delivery. On the other hand. health practitioners at health centers should encourage pregnant mothers to practice effective family planning while those diagnosed v~ ith l—llV/AlDs should he encouraged to take i\RT treatment. Government and other stake holders such as Nongovernmental organizations should put up more health f’aciliiies to ensure that there is even access to medical care and health care. Secondly Health practitioners should ensure that pregnant mothers are monitored and supervised to ensure safe delivery at the health centers. This would serve to reduce infant mortality rate. Thirdly there is need to ensure that infants receive full dose of immunization for BCG, DPT and measles by health actors in the district.