Infant mortality rates fall in Uganda

The number of Ugandan children who die before their first birthday dropped to 54 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2011 from 76 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2006.

Preliminary results of the Uganda Demographic Health Survey 2011 also show a rise in the use of contraception by married women and a slight decline in fertility rates.

The study is conducted by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics every five years and provides information to guide the future interventions and reforms of the health sector in Uganda.

The proportion of married women who use contraception rose to 30% in 2011 from 24% in 2006, reflecting a rise in the overall use of contraception to 26% in 2011 from 18% in 2006.

Fertility rates in Uganda declined to 6.2 children per woman in 2011 from 6.7 children per woman in 2006. In the urban areas the rate dropped to 3.8 children per woman in 2011 from 4.4 children per woman in 2006, while in the rural areas it stands at 6.8 down from 7.1 in 2006.

The percentage of women giving birth in health facilities increased to 57% in 2011 from 42% in 2006, with 59% of women in Uganda now giving birth with the assistance of skilled birth attendant.

However, there is still a large disparity between rural and urban women with just 54% of rural women seeking skilled attendants compared to 90% of urban women.

Dr Jennifer Wanyana, the assistant commissioner in the Ministry of Health, said: “Issues to do with behavioral change take some time [to change].

“Reduction in fertility is not drastic. It will decline, if a woman had an average of six children five years ago, that average would still remain in the next five years.

“But we have seen fertility rates fall from 6.7 to 6.2 which is a positive leap. These indicators take time to register a difference.”

Dr Wanyana said the health sector suffers from a lack of available service providers and a shortage of human resources, despite increased funding.

Maternal and child health mortality have been recognized by the United Nations (UN) as key indicators for development.

Targets four and five of the Millennium Development Goals aim to reduce the under-five mortality rate and maternal mortality rate by two thirds from 1990 figures by 2015.

Uganda, like other sub-Saharan countries, is not progressing well on these two targets. The UN is concerned that, even though child deaths in many countries are falling, they are not falling quickly enough.

Dr Medrad Bitekyerezo, a member of parliament on the Social Service Committee, said there was a big population increase in Uganda coupled with ignorance of reproductive health matters.

Dr Bitekyerezo said: “The attitude of Ugandans towards contraceptive use is negative. It is worsened by poor education of girls and some men. If girls were educated, they could use contraceptives as well as the men.

“We shall not meet the Millennium Development Goals if there is low funding in the health sector. We cannot depend on donors to fund health.

“How many families in the north and eastern Uganda can afford milk every day? If the mothers are hungry, the children will be malnourished.”

Emily Katarikawe, managing director of Uganda Health Marketing Group, said that many women either do not know about contraceptives or have no access to them.

She said: “About 74% of the population is below 24 years of age and should be using modern contraceptives to prevent unplanned pregnancies. We are not reaching the people we should be reaching.”

Katarikawe also said mothers were not following child spacing of two years between each birth as recommended by World Health Organization.

She said: “Families are churning out many children. The attitude of individuals not using family planning methods and that of health workers must be studied.”