Levels and trends of under-5 mortality in South Africa : A 3-year vital statistics study

Abstract

Children and their future remain a core value for the future growth of the economy in South Africa. Under-5 mortality has remained a problem in society and has affected individuals in the past decade. Although there was an improvement in the health systems and investment in working towards under-5 mortality reduction, under-5 mortality still remains high in South Africa. This is due to the rising problem of equity in health services. According to the World Health Organisation, about 2.6 mill ion children died. This study examines the levels and trends of under-5 mortality in South Africa for a three-year period, 2006, 2012 and 2015. Studying the causes of under-5 mortality will help in understanding the factors causing deaths and how they can be addressed by health policies and programs. The study used secondary analysis of data obtained from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), Vital Statistics covering the periods 2006, 2012 and 2015. The analysis was done by the province of usual residence, age and sex, and causes of death. Direct estimations were used for the levels of mortality among children under-5 and the trend analysis was performed by calculating the rates of change on child mortality for the periods 2006 -2012 and 2012 - 2015. The rate of under-5 mortality has been declining steadily in the period that the study looked at. However, mortality among children under-5 has not been dealt with completely. Now, under-5 mortality differs within provinces: Gauteng and Kwazulu- Natal reported more deaths than other provinces. The study further shows the decrease in the percentage change in the under-5 mortality rate during the years 2006-2012 and 2012-2015. The most leading causes of deaths among children under-5 are diarrhoea, pneumonia, and deaths due to accidents and injuries in South Africa, 2006, 2012 and 2015. There were more deaths among male children under the age of five as compared to female children under the age of five in 2006, 2012 and 2015. The need for basic health care education must be adhered to, to avo id the risk of death among children under the age of five.