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" A Phenomenological Study of Infant Mortality Rates in Nigeria: "
Adelakun, Olasumbo
Polka, Walter
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1110802
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2491969941
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| Main Entry
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Adelakun, Olasumbo
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Polka, Walter
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| Title & Author
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A Phenomenological Study of Infant Mortality Rates in Nigeria:\ Adelakun, OlasumboPolka, Walter
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| College
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Niagara University
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| Date
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2020
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| student score
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2020
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| Degree
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Ph.D.
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| Page No
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172
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| Abstract
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Infant mortality rates (IMR) are indicators of a nation's health status and well-being and sadly, this menace and public health issue has been and is still a major cause for concern in Nigeria. Despite numerous attempts and interventions put in place to combat it, no significant progress has been made in this area to date. The challenges in Nigeria’s healthcare system have been evident for many years, resulting in its ranking at 187 amongst 191 United Nations member states by the World Health Organization in 2000. Today, IMR in the country is estimated to be 69.8 deaths per 1000 live births or 1 in every fifteen Nigerian children dying before reaching the age of one. This is approximately 21 times the average rate in developed nations (World Population Review, 2019). It is therefore crucial to conduct research that will support the strategic planning of interventional programs which will greatly improve the survival chances of infants in the country. In order to create effective healthcare policies or to design programs and interventions that work, research-based evidence is required to determine factors attributable to the causes of the high number of infant deaths in the region. Through a phenomenological qualitative approach, this researcher explored determinants of the phenomenon through the eyes of mothers who have experienced the loss of an infant in this environment as a result of gaps in the healthcare policy. Results of the study revealed that records of infant deaths are not kept in semi-rural and rural communities. Therefore, these numbers do not count towards overall estimates of infant mortality rates across the country. Also, the results identified that some of the major determinants of the high incidence of infant deaths include the following: the continued utilization of untrained traditional birth attendants for pre-and postnatal and infant care, out-of-pocket medical expenses, and a weak and decaying healthcare system. At the conclusion of the study, insights were provided as to the type of interventions that can significantly reduce infant mortality rates in the country and ways that these can be implemented through existing healthcare policy. This study also provides recommendations for future research into other contributory factors to the high incidence of infant mortality.
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| Subject
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Health care management
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Public health
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Public policy
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