IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Total number of children aged under-five years:  There were about 5.3 million children aged under-five years for each year (2006-2010), representing 10.5% of the total population. The majority of children aged under-five years were black/Africans and KwaZulu Natal and Gauteng had the highest number of children aged under-five years.

General findings: The health of the majority of children aged under-five years was perceived as very good (39, 9%) or good (50, 5%) for 2008/9.During 2008/9, less than 1% of children aged under-five years had a disability.

Less than 1% of children aged under-five years were covered by medical aid, with the highest percentage of children aged under-five years from the white population covered by medical aid than any other population group (2008/9). Black/African children aged under-five years had the highest prevalence of diseases (2006-2010), were least covered by medical aid (2008/9) and had the highest proportion of deaths for the period 2006-2009.

Morbidity: For the reference period, Flu or acute respiratory tract infections were the most prevalent diseases (affecting 10% of children aged under-five years), followed by diarrhoea (affecting about 2% of the children aged under-five years).

Mortality: Infant and child mortality rates declined between 2006 and 2010.The most common cause of death in children aged under-five years for the reference period was intestinal infectious diseases (diarrhoea), followed by influenza and pneumonia, respiratory and cardiovascular disorders specific to the perinatal period and malnutrition. When considering deaths by provinces, Mpumalanga and Limpopo had the highest percentage of diarrhoea deaths while Free State, North West, Mpumalanga and Limpopo had the highest percentage of influenza and pneumonia deaths. Malnutrition deaths were high in Northern Cape, Free State and North West. Tuberculosis was most prevalent in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu Natal.

Recommendations: The findings of this report call for concerted efforts by relevant stakeholders to strengthen the improvement of the health status of children aged under-five years in South Africa through programmes like immunisation against diarrhoea and pneumonia. There is also need to improve the quality of information collected by household surveys and administrative records. For continued provision of accurate and robust household level demographic and health information, it is imperative that the South African Demographic and Health Survey be conducted. Efforts to improve the completeness of death registration and recording of information on causes of death in South Africa should be strengthened.