Factors contributing to high incidence of pneumonia in under-five children in Kasungu district
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Date
2010-11-30
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Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
Abstract
This research is an exploratory study on the factors contributing to high incidence of pneumonia in under-five children in Kasungu district. The topic was reach based on the outcome of the 2004 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS). The survey revealed that pneumonia is a leading cause of death in Malawi at about 30% (MDHS, 2004). This numeral corresponds to the one revealed by World Health Organisation (WHO), on the international scene. This means that Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4, which aims at reducing child mortality rate by 2/3 by the year 2015, cannot be achieved. This is also inline with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, which aims at combating HIV and AIDS and other diseases like Malaria, tuberculosis, and pneumonia by the same year, 2015.
The researcher was therefore interested to find out why pneumonia incidence is still high in some parts of the country like Kasungu and Zomba districts, which is at 25% amidst the nation's effort to achieve MDG4 and MDG6 as stated above. A qualitative study method was used in this cram. A pilot study was done at Dowa District Hospital. The main study was done at Kasungu District Hospital. A sample of 10 women with under-five children was interviewed during the data collection period. The data was analysed manually. The findings will be disseminated to Kamuzu College of Nursing library, to the Research and Publications Committee, and to Kasungu District Health Office. The findings of the study reveal that the high incidence of pneumonia is attributed to lack of knowledge on predisposing factors to pneumonia, immunosuppression, poor feeding habits, cultural believes, and poor management and poor referral system of cases from primary level to secondary level of referral system.