By KEPHER OTIENO

A new study on child mortality in Nyanza has shown that death rate is still high, with about 149 children out of 1,000 dying every year.

Similarly, one out of seven children aged five and below die before celebrating their fifth birthday.

The mortality is high compared to Central Province where only one out of 20 children die of similar causes. This means that mortality risks in Nyanza are three times higher compared to Central.

According to the study titled ‘Disease Surveillance Survey’ conducted between April 2010 and June this year, Nyanza accounts for 33 per cent of mortality.

"Nyanza and Western accounts for 77 per cent of all deaths of children aged under five," explained Nyanza Provincial Disease Prevention And Control Officer Peter Okoth.

The medic cited malaria, diarrhoea, pneumonia, HIV and Aids, malnutrition and inadequate access to safe water as major causes of the deaths.

The challenges are likely to impair the country’s realisation of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Experts say for Kenya to attain the MDGs that aims to reduce infant deaths to 32 out of 1,000 children, it must device new health strategies.

That is why the two ministries dealing with health, with support from Unicef, Jica, and Essential Health Services have united to address the issue.

They have employed a strategy, which outlines 18 high-impact interventions dubbed ‘Hills’ anchored on Vision 2030 targets.

This is part of the solutions aimed at ensuring effective control and management of the causes of child mortality.

So far, some of the positive highlights include intensified coverage of household promotion of hand washing and breast-feeding.

Others are measles vaccination, Vitamin A coverage, reduction of mother-to-child transmission of diseases, and use of treated nets.

Health indicators

Okoth said they have attained over 80 per cent of increased promotion of safe health practices in households.

He said this is because of improved monitoring and consistent evaluation of the success and challenges of families in the programmes.

Recently, Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o noted that Kenya had recorded improvement in health indicators.

The good news stemmed from news that between 2003 and 2008/09 mortality rates dipped countrywide from 115 to 74. The reduction is due to increased promotion of use of insecticide treated nets, oral rehydration therapy and measles coverage.