Effects of the civil war in central Mozambique and evaluation of the intervention of the International Committee of the Red Cross

• Published in: Journal of tropical pediatrics (1980) Vol. 43; no. 6; p. 318
• Main Authors: Garenne, M L, Coninx, R, Dupuy, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.12.1997
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cause of Death; Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Female; Fertility; Health Education - organization & administration; Health Services Needs and Demand; Health Surveys; Humans; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Middle Aged; Mozambique - epidemiology; Program Evaluation; Red Cross - organization & administration; Retrospective Studies; Warfare; Mozambique
• ISSN: 0142-6338; 1465-3664
• DOI: 10.1093/tropej/43.6.318

In October 1994, a retrospective study of mortality of children was conducted in Maringué, a district of central Mozambique. Estimates based on maternity histories of 1503 women aged 15-60 years revealed complex changes in the under-5 death rate. During the colonial period (1955-1974), mortality declined from 373 to 270 per 1000. During the civil war period (1975-1991), mortality increased rapidly to reach a peak of 473 per 1000 in 1986. It declined again thereafter and reached a plateau of 380 in 1991. A health intervention conducted by the International Red Cross Committee since 1992 further reduced mortality to 269 per 1000 in 1994. Most of the 1992-1994 decline was attributable to vaccinations, in particular measles and tetanus immunizations, and to Vitamin A supplementation.