Reducing child mortality in Nigeria: A case study of immunization and systemic factors

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 161 - 164
• Main Authors: Ngowu, Rufus, Larson, James S., Kim, Min Su
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-07-2008; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Series: Social Science & Medicine
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Case studies; Child Mortality; Child, Preschool; Children; Children & youth; Communicable Disease Control - methods; Communicable Disease Control - trends; Communicable Diseases - epidemiology; Communicable Diseases - mortality; Epidemiology; Evaluation Studies as Topic; General aspects; Government policy; Health Policy; Humans; Immunization; Immunization Programs - economics; Immunization Programs - organization & administration; Infant; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Medical sciences; Medicine; Miscellaneous; Mortality; Mycobacterium; National Health Programs - economics; National Health Programs - organization & administration; Nigeria; Nigeria - epidemiology; Organizational Case Studies; Outcome and Process Assessment (Health Care); Policy; Poliovirus; Program Evaluation; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Regression Analysis; Social sciences; Vaccination; Vaccination Child mortality Nigeria Children Immunization Policy; Vaccines; Nigeria; Africa; Policy; Immunization; Child mortality; Children; Nigeria; Vaccination; Human; Mortality; Epidemiology; Case study; Prevention; Immunoprophylaxis; Health policy; Vaccination,Child mortality,Nigeria,Children,Immunization,Policy; Social medicine; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2008.03.004

The purpose of the study is to assess the outcome of the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) in Nigeria, as well as to examine systemic factors influencing its high under-five mortality rate (UFMR). The principal objective of the EPI program when it was implemented in 1978 was to reduce mortality, morbidity and disability associated with six vaccine preventable diseases namely tuberculosis, tetanus, diphtheria, measles, pertussis and poliomyelitis. The methodological approach to this study is quantitative, using secondary time series data from 1970 to 2003. The study tested three hypotheses using time series multiple regression analysis with autocorrelation adjustment as a statistical model. The results showed that the EPI program had little effect on UFMR in Nigeria. Only the literacy rate and domestic spending on healthcare had statistically significant effects on the UFMR. The military government was not a significant factor in reducing or increasing the UFMR. It appears that Nigeria needs a unified approach to healthcare delivery, rather than fragmented programs, to overcome cultural and political divisions in society.