Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T13:09:17.576Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Measurement of child mortality in association with a multipurpose birth certificate programme in the Southern Highlands Province of Papua New Guinea

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Dimitri Prybylski
Affiliation:
Division of Health, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua, New Guinea
William A. Alto
Affiliation:
Division of Health, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua, New Guinea
Stephen Rogers
Affiliation:
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Tari, Southern Highlands Province, Papua, New Guinea
Helen Pickering
Affiliation:
Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Tari, Southern Highlands Province, Papua, New Guinea

Summary

A simple and inexpensive method for monitoring child mortality in association with birth registration was introduced into the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Eight thousand two hundred and one newborn infants were registered in 1988, approximately 77% of all children born in that year. The risk of death by age 2 was determined from reports given by the mother on the present status of a previously born child at the time of a recent delivery or during clinic registration of the current birth. This was 91 per 1000 for the province and corresponds to a risk of death by age 1 of 77/1000 by extrapolation using standard lifetables. This method was validated by comparison with a continuing demographic surveillance system covering 30,000 people in the western part of the province. The new birth certificate has been an incentive to increase supervised delivery rates and to generate a register that can be used to increase vaccination coverage.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Albu, R. & Alto, W. A. (1989) Training of village midwives in the Southern Highlands Province. Papua New Guinea med. J. 32, 89.Google ScholarPubMed
Alto, W. A. & Cutts, D. (1989) Measles immunization and its effectiveness in the Southern Highlands. Papua New Guinea med. J. 32, 45.Google ScholarPubMed
Brass, W. & Macrae, S. (1984) Childhood mortality estimated from reports on previous births given by mothers at the time of a maternity. I. Preceding birth technique. Asian Pacific Census Forum, 11, 5.Google Scholar
Brass, W. & Macrae, S. (1985) Childhood mortality estimated from reports on previous births given by mothers at the time of a maternity. II. Adapted multiplying factor technique. Asian Pacific Census Forum, 11, 5.Google ScholarPubMed
Buchanan, A. & Maclauren, G. (1987) Doctors health centre visits in the Southern Highlands Province. Papua New Guinea med. J. 30, 45.Google Scholar
Clark, L. (1979) Brief for the World Bank Southern Highlands Rural Development Project. Provincial Archives, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Collins, A. (1984) Age Determination in Epidemiological Studies in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea Institute of Medical Research, Goroka.Google Scholar
Davis, M. V., Barker, M. J. & Griffiths, C. J. (1984) Active Immunization Decreases the Incidence of Necrotizing Enteritis in Papua New Guinea. Department of Health, Madang.Google Scholar
Division of Health (1986) Annual Report. Provincial Archives, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Division of Health (1987) Annual Report. Provincial Archives, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Frankel, S. J. & Lehman, D. (1984) Oral rehydration therapy: combining anthropological and epidemiological approaches in the evaluation of a Papua New Guinea programme. J. trop. med. Hyg. 87, 132.Google ScholarPubMed
Hill, A. G. & Aguirre, A. (1990) Childhood mortality estimates using the preceding birth technique: some applications and extensions. Popul. Stud. 44, 317.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hill, A. G. & Macrae, S. (1985) Measuring Childhood Mortality Levels: A New Approach. UNICEF Social Statistics Bulletin No. 8. Nairobi.Google Scholar
Lehmann, D. (1984) Summary of the Final Report of the Tari Research Unit for the World Bank Southern Highlands Rural Development Project. Provincial Archives. Mendi. Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar
Pickering, H., David, P. H. & Hill, A. G. (1989) Continuous monitoring of child mortality from clinic records. J. trop. med. Hyg. 92, 71.Google ScholarPubMed
Tarr., P. I. (1979) The Tari Research Unit Morbidity Surveillance System. Report for the World Bank Southern Highlands Rural Development Project. Provincial Archives, Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea.Google Scholar