Injuries number three killer of children under 5 years: Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) from Pakistan. (1st March 2011)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Khan, U R; Zia, N; Razzak, J A
• Is Part Of: Injury prevention. Volume 16(2010)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A227
• Page End: A227
• Publication Date: 2011-03-01
• Subjects: Children's accidents -- Prevention -- Periodicals; Accidents -- Prevention -- Periodicals; 617.1
• DOI: 10.1136/ip.2010.029215.807
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-8047

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Globally, around 950 000 children under age of 18 years die due to injury and violence each year. The rate of child injury death is 3.4 times higher in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Objectives: To study injury mortality patterns among children under 5 years of age in Pakistan. Methods: DHS in Pakistan was conducted from September 2006 till February 2007. It included 95 000 households. Child Verbal Autopsy Questionnaires (CVAQs) was administered to households which had death of a child under age 5 from January 2005 onwards. A total of 3232 CVAQs were administered, of which 3101 were completed. Results: The main causes of child deaths (the probability of dying between the first and fifth birthday) were diarrhoea (17.7%), pneumonia (16.9%) and injuries (11%). Out of 3101, 90 (2.9%) injury mortalities were reported in children under 5 years. Ratio of injury mortality in urban versus rural areas was 1:3.5. Respondents were mostly parents (67.7%) and illiterate (74.6%). Injury mortalities were common between ages of 15 years (77.8%) and among males (52.2%). Overall, mortality was due to drowning 20 (22.2%), road traffic injuries RTIs 11 (12.2%), fall 11 (12.2%). Mortality in children under 1 year was commonly due to RTIs (5.6%). Frequent injury mortalities between 1 and 5 years were drowning 18 (25.7%) and fall 11 (15.7%). RTIs (19.1%) in boys and drowning (30.2%) in girls were common causes of mortality. Conclusion: Injuries are the third most common cause of mortality in Pakistani children between ages 1 and 5 years.