Monitoring progress towards health for all by the year 2000: indicators from Iganga District, Uganda.

Abstract

A sample of 5018 inhabitants in three counties of Iganga district, Uganda was selected by means of a multi-stage cluster sampling procedure and interviewed in 1984. A sub sample was re-interviewed, the following year to study population dynamics. 50.2% of the population were under 15 years of age and 4.2% were aged one year or less. About 80% of both sexes aged 6-15 years were in school or had primary education. Male adult literacy rate was 62% and female adult literacy rate was 38%. The average number of people per sleeping room was 2.4. 82.9% of households used well or unprotected spring as main source of water and 30% of households did not have pit latrine. Infant mortality rate was estimated to be 126 per 1000 livebirths and measles was the major cause of mortality (38%) in the under fives. The crude birth rate estimate was 51 per 1000. The estimate of lameness due to polio was 6.6 per 1000 children aged 15 years or below. The mean weight and the mean height of the children were both below 50th percentile of the NCHS standards. In the re-survey, the crude birth rate and infant mortality rate estimates corresponded well to the initial values for the total sample obtained in the previous survey. 5% of the population had moved out of the village and 1.8% had moved to settle in the village. The growth rate in both weight and height of the under five children was satisfactory compared to the rate of the standard. From the result of the study, only six years after adoption of PHC in Uganda, the relatively high educational level of the younger population should be taken as a positive indicator of better health indices in the future. PIP: In 1984, 6 years after adoption of primary health care (PHC) in Uganda, a nursing officer, health visitors, and health inspectors interviewed 5018 residents of Bukuli, Bunya, and Bukooli counties of Iganga district to estimate some indicators of health for all as identified by the World Health Organization. They aimed to monitor progress toward the achievement of Health for All by the year 2000. The average household size was 5.8. The average number of people per sleeping room was 2.4. More than 50% of the population was age 14 or less. In the age group 6-14 years, 77.75% (76.3% for girls and 79.1% for boys) were attending school. For the older age groups, the gap between percentage of males and females with no education increased with age (e.g., 2.8% for 6-14 years vs. 24.9% for 15-55 years). The key source of water for 82.9% of households was a well or unprotected springs or ponds. 70% had individual pit latrines. The crude birth rate (CBR) was around 50/1000. The mean weight and height by age were lower than the 50th percentile of the National Centre for Health Statistics Standards. The infant mortality rate (IMR) stood at 126/1000 live births. Mortality for those under 5 year olds was 78/1000 population. The leading cause of death for those under 5 year olds was measles (38.4%). The polio disability rate was 6.8/1000 population under the age of 15. 20% of households had a radio. The 1985 resurvey showed little change in the CBR and the IMR (53/1000 and 100/1000, respectively). Between 1984 and 1985, 5% of the population had moved out of the village and 1.8% had moved into the village. In conclusion, despite poor estimates of several health status indicators, the youth (6-14 years) have a high level of education, suggesting improved health status indices in the future.