Mortality of under-fives in a rural area of holoendemic malaria transmission

From January 1992 to December 1993, a total of 361 births and 243 deaths were recorded by village reporters in five villages in Muheza District, north eastern Tanzania. Among those aged less than one year 48 deaths were recorded, giving an infant mortality rate of 133 per 1000 live births (95% CI 97.9-168.0). There were 42 deaths among the censused population of 845 children aged 1-4 years (24.8/1000/year, 95% CI: 17.4-32.3). Verbal autopsy questionnaires were administered to parents or close relatives of 83 of the dead infants and children. From analysis of these, 30 of the deaths were tentatively attributed to malaria. The results are discussed in relation to other studies in East and West Africa and to the prospects for reducing mortality by use of insecticide impregnated bednets. © 1994.