Province responds to appalling child mortality rate

By Ofentse Mokae
14 May 2010

The Western Cape Health department is rolling out a provincial “saving mothers and children” plan, which aims to reduce the mortality of children under the age of 5 years to 30 per 1000 live births and maternal mortality to 90 per 100 000 live births by 2015.

MEC Theuns Botha says the figure in the Human Sciences Research Council report that 7% of children in South Africa do not survive to their fifth birthday, is “horrific and completely unacceptable”.

His plan focuses on saving children by reducing the Perinatal Mortality Rate (PNMR) and Early Neonatal Death Rate (ENNDR).

Actions include Vitamin A supplementation to babies in their first year.

According to ministerial official Helene Rossouw, HIV/Aids, social and health service related factors have the greatest impact on these figures.

“While better than other parts of the country, the Western Cape figures are still totally unacceptable,” Rossouw said.

The major causes of childhood deaths reported are diarrhea disease, lower respiratory tract infections and perinatal conditions as well as malnutrition.

“Health care workers will also be visiting hospitals and managers to ensure that the correct neonatal equipment was procured for nurseries,” added Rossouw.

The province has achieved great success with the implementation of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, and research has indicated that currently infant mortality in the Western Cape is approaching levels seen before the advent of the HIV-epidemic.