AN ASSESSMENT OF THE PREVALENCE OF DISEASES CAUSING INFANT AND CHILDHOOD MORTALITY IN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Child survival, being the resultant effect of an interchange between the forces of fertility and mortality has been one of the major preoccupation of Sociologists, especially Demography and Population Studies experts and indeed all other public health practitioners all over the world, more especially in African countries where the rate of infant and child mortality is deemed very high. These high rate of morbidity and fatality, especially for children under five years have been mostly attributed to various disease afflictions such as malaria, diarrhea, tetanus, pneumonia and other neonatal environmental conditions. This paper therefore portrays the various disease ailments causing infant and child mortality especially in Africa, Nigeria and Katsina state in particular. In undertaking the research, the investigators made use of participant observation, hospital records, as well as traditional healing centers. At the end of the study, some recommendations were made on how to reduce the incidence of diseases causing mortality thereby enhancing the probability of child survival. These measures include improving environmental sanitation, better dieting, more access to modern Medicare as well as greater incentives to healthcare givers.