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