Patterns of childhood mortality in three districts of north Gondar Administrative Zone. A community based study using the verbal autopsy method.

This community based study was undertaken to determine the infant and child mortality rates, causes of childhood mortality and examine the utilization patterns of health services in north Gondar Administrative Zone. The study was conducted from November 1994 to May 1995. A pretested questionnaire based on criteria suggested for diagnosis of childhood mortality in developing countries, using verbal autopsy, was administered to mothers or care takers whose under five children died within five years prior to data collection. A total of 5,001 households were visited and 428 deaths were identified. Infant and child mortality rates were estimated as 103 per 1000 live births and 41 per 1000 children respectively. The most common causes of mortality were respiratory tract infections, diarrhoea and malnutrition. The method of verbal autopsy if used with well tested and validated criteria may be of great help in describing mortality patterns in places where there is no regular surveillance of mortality. Based on the results, intervention packages on the most common causes of mortality at different levels of health care can be devised.