AFRICAN POPULATION STUDIES

Senegal (Dakar) 92

1994 - NUMBER 9

96.92.1 - English - Priscilla A. AKWARA Breastfeeding and infant and child mortality in Amagoro division of Busia district, Kenya

This study examined the impact of breastfeeding duration and age at supplementation on infant and child mortality. Data was collected for both open and closed intervals from women aged 15-49 years and resident in Amagoro Division, Busia District, western Kenya. The study found that breastfeeding initiation is quite high, with an average of 99% of the women initiating breastfeeding. The duration of breastfeeding is long, with the majority of the women breastfeeding for 19-24 months. The major problem noted in the study is early supplementation. By the age of 3-4 months about 70% of children in the open and closed intervals were already being fed on other diets in addition to breast milk. The study also found that, for both the open and closed intervals, breastfeeding duration, age at supplementation, work status of the mother, type of toilet facility used by the household, and immunizations received by the child were significant in child survival. The major conclusion derived from the results of the study is that breastfeeding practices, environmental factors, and socioeconomic factors are very significant in influencing infant and child deaths. However, the impact of breastfeeding and age at supplementation are greatly modified by environmental and socioeconomic factors. The study therefore recommends the re-education of health personnel, especially those in the Maternal and Child Health clinics (MCH), on the importance of breastfeeding and proper age at supplementation for the children. The paper also recommends that female employment opportunities and female education be increased, since maternal education highly determines the work status of the mother and the nutritional, health care and sanitary conditions of the household. (KENYA, INFANT MORTALITY, YOUTH MORTALITY, BREAST FEEDING, INFANT FEEDING)

96.92.2 - English - Evasius KABURU BAUNI The quality of care in family planning: A case study of Chogoria, Eastern Kenya

This paper compares the quality of family planning services in the catchment areas of Chogoria and Maua hospitals, both in the Meru district of Kenya. The quality issues compared are personnel, types of methods, information, recruiting and counselling of clients, knowledge and source of modern contraceptives, desired family size, use of contraceptives, and satisfaction of providers and clients. A comparative approach is adopted to study the aspects of family planning that have made Chogoria relatively more successful than Maua and the rest of Kenya. The data used in this analysis is qualitative and was collected through personal observation, interviews, and group discussions with health care providers. The results show that while the family planning programmes of Chogoria and Maua are comparable in many respects, there are also important differences. For example, Chogoria family planning personnel were more knowledgeable about contraceptives and were more satisfied with the training provided by Chogoria hospital than were their counterparts in Maua. The relationship between the senior and the junior staff was more cordial in Chogoria. The content of the information about contraceptives provided to women attending clinics was similar in both hospitals. But the teachers in Chogoria were more knowledgeable and confident than those in Maua. In Chogoria, the decision to use family planning is jointly taken by the husband and the wife, and if a client fails to turn up for an appointment a follow-up is scheduled. In Maua, the decision to use family planning is taken unilaterally by the wife and defaulters are not followed up. The study showed that 78% and 33% of the participants were using modeRN family planning methods in Chogoria and Maua respectively. Three conclusions are drawn from the study. First, that the satisfaction of family planning providers and their clients contributes positively towards more knowledge and use of modern contraceptives. Second, that women feel more secure and comfortable with the methods they use if their husbands are involved in deciding whether or not to adopt them. Finally, follow-up services for those who fail to attend appointments helps to strengthen relation between providers and clients and provides an opportunity to learn of the circumstances that lead to discontinuing the use of contraceptives. (KENYA, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES, PROGRAMME EVALUATION)

96.92.3 - French - Pierre NGOM Why do women abandon contraception? The example of Botswana (Pourquoi les femmes arr?tent-elles d'utiliser la contraception ? L'exemple du Botswana)

The present study analyses the reasons why women stop using fertility control methods in Botswana, based on the data of the Population and Health Survey, carried out in 1988. The majority of women who stopped using their family planning method named two main causes: problems with their health and their desire to have more children. Their husband's (or partner's) opposition is one of the other major reasons given by the women. The author then identifies the socio-economic and cultural determinants which may incite women to abandon the use of contraception. Finally, some implications for African family planning programmes are discussed. (BOTSWANA, DROPOUTS, FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMMES)

96.92.4 - English - Charles KATENDE The impact of access to health services on infant and child mortality in rural Uganda

This paper examines the impact of access to health facilities on infant and child mortality in Uganda. Using the proportional hazard model, the paper shows that access to health centers affects childhood mortality of rural children; however, the effect is only substantial for children born to non-educated mothers. (UGANDA, CHILD MORTALITY, HEALTH SERVICES, EDUCATION OF WOMEN)

96.92.5 - French - Nafissatou Jocelyne DIOP The adolescent fertility dynamics in Senegal (La dynamique de la fŽconditŽ des adolescentes au SŽnŽgal)

96.92.6 - English - T. O. FADAYOMI Brain drain from African states: Empirical evidence and policy implications

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