MICS 2006 KEY FINDINGS on Child Health and Maternal Health

Samuel Bosomprah

Ministry of Health MICS Focal Point

Background

Why MICS in 2006?

• Baseline for next health strategy 2007-2011

• Progress made since last 2003 GDHS in service outputs and nutrition

• We were not expecting changes in mortality – Used MICS to confirm GDHS mortality figures

SustainedInvestment In Nutrition

SustainedInvestment In Nutrition

Fewer Child MalnutritionFewer Child MalnutritionFewer Child Death

&Increased Intelligence

Fewer Child Death&

Increased Intelligence

Stronger economyStronger economy

Key MessageKey Message

…A sustained investment in nutrition is highly likely to translateinto stronger economy in the long-term because there would be intellectually productive adults

“Adults who survive malnutrition as children are less physically and intellectually productive and suffer from high levels of chronic illness and disability”

UNICEF (Various years)

Did you know?

Under-5 Mortality

66108

9286

93113

142133

106191

111

106114

118126

100101100

124102

77101

0 50 100 150 200 250

Regions

Western

Central

Greater Accra

Volta

Eastern

Ashanti

Brong Ahafo

Northern

Upper East

Upper West

Area

Urban

Rural

Mother's Education

None

Primary

Middle/JSS

Secondary +

Wealth Quintiles

Poorest

Second

Middle

Fourth

Richest

National

Per 1000

Figure 1 Under-5 Mortality Rates by Background Characteristics, Ghana, 2006

Under-5 Mortality vs Background X’ticsUnder-5 Mortality vs Background X’tics

Looking toward the next 7 years:…which regions are likely to experience the greatest improvement?

Looking toward the next 7 years:…which regions are likely to experience the greatest improvement?

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

pe

r 1

00

0 li

ve b

irth

s

Figure 1: Trends in Under-five mortality rate, Ghana, 1988-2007

DHS MDG Base/Target MICS Linear (MDG Base/Target)

Child mortality is an indicator of development!!!

Unlikely to meet the MDGs at current pace

On track?

Nutritional Status

• Almost one in five children under age five in Ghana is underweight (18 percent);

• Nearly a quarter of children (22 percent) are stunted or too short for their age; and

• 5 percent are wasted or too thin for their height.

How many Ghanaian children are malnourished today?How many Ghanaian children are malnourished today?

• Malnourishment peaks at age 12-23 months;

• could be attributed to poor feeding practices that lead to inadequate food intake.

•Expected…weaning period … exposed to contamination in water, food, and the environment

Malnourishment vs AgeMalnourishment vs Age

• Even at the earliest ages, many children are receiving liquids or foods other than breast milk.

• By the end of the sixth month, the percentage of children exclusively breastfed is below 12 percent.

Infant Feeding Patterns by AgeInfant Feeding Patterns by Age

Figure NU.2: Infant feeding patterns by age. Percent distribution of children aged under 3 years by feeding pattern by age group, Ghana, 2006

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

0-1 2-3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25 26-27 28-29 30-31 32-33 34-35

Age (in Months)

Percent

Weaned (not breastfed)Breastfed and complementary foodsBreastfed and other milk/ formulaBreastfed and non-milk liquidsBreastfed and plain w ater onlyEx clusiv ely breastfed

Inequities in underweight prevalenceInequities in underweight prevalence

0

10

20

30

Pro

po

rtio

n o

f U

5 u

nde

rwe

igh

t

Sex Region Area of Residence Age of Child Mother's EducationBackground Characteristics

Large urban-ruralinequities exists

Large urban-ruralinequities exists

large regional inequities exits

large regional inequities exits

National Average

MDG Indicator 4. Prevalence of underweight children under five

2624.9 23.95

30.727.4

17.9

29.38

14.7

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Note: 2003 is avr. of CWIQ and DHS

Pct.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Pct.

Underw eight (moderate and severe) MDG Base / Target Linear trendline

Progress on Malnutrition towards the MDGs

Ghana Is On Track

Consolidate gains

Are we on Track?

Child Health

Immunisation

Figure CH.1: Percentage of children aged 12-23 months who received the recommended vaccinations by 12 months, Ghana, 2006

94.2 93.889.2

81.4

95.890.5

80.1 77.7

64.4

0

20

40

60

80

100Percent

Malaria

11.519.8

16.321.5

24.921.8

25.721.9

39.337.1

21.8

16.424.8

24.422.2

19.220.8

22.2

0 10 20 30 40 50

Regions

Western

Central

Greater Accra

Volta

Eastern

Ashanti

Brong Ahafo

Northern

Upper East

Upper West

Area

Urban

Rural

Wealth index quintiles

Poorest

Second

Middle

Fourth

Richest

National

Per cent

Figure 3 Percentage of children aged 0-59 months who slept under an insecticide treated net by Background

Characteristics, Ghana, 2006

Reproductive Health

Skilled Supervised Delivery

39.643.6

8344.6

38.860.5

58.138

44.129.1

49.7

76.935.5

31.447.6

6387.4

0 20 40 60 80 100

Regions

Western

Central

Greater Accra

Volta

Eastern

Ashanti

Brong Ahafo

Northern

Upper East

Upper West

Area

Urban

Rural

Mother's Education

None

Primary

Middle/JSS

Secondary +

National

Per cent

Figure 2 Skilled supervised delivery by Background Characteristics, Ghana, 2006

Policy RecommendationsPolicy Recommendations

Accelerate the Regenerative Health and Nutrition ProgrammeAccelerate the Regenerative Health and Nutrition Programme

More inter-sectoral Action – Poverty reduction, Nutrition, Education, Water, Sanitation, Roads, and Housing

More inter-sectoral Action – Poverty reduction, Nutrition, Education, Water, Sanitation, Roads, and Housing

Targeted actions at regions pulling down the country and urban poorTargeted actions at regions pulling down the country and urban poor

Scale-up HIRDScale-up HIRD

Thanks