Newborn Health Program Knowledge Practice and Coverage Survey for Mothers of Children 0-23 Months in Mzimba District Malawi. Final report.

The Demographic and Health Survey shows that Malawi has made significant progress in a number of health indicators during the last 15 years preceding the survey including some with direct bearing on maternal and child health. Yet women and children are still an at-risk and largely-neglected population in the country. Maternal and child mortality rates remain high. Infant mortality is 76/1000 live births while child mortality is 62/1000 giving an overall under-five mortality rate of 133 per 1000. The risk of neonatal deaths (27/1000 live births) is almost twice (1.8 times) higher than the risk of post-neonatal deaths (49/1000 live births). These estimates are however between 27-36 percent lower than in the 15 year period prior to DHS 2004. Specifically the objectives of this KPC were to: estimate Knowledge Practice and Coverage for selected priority child health indicators for potential project indicators; assisting the project to identify and prioritize problems that exist within the projectarea and assist the project team to write and finalize their project proposal; developing local capacity to collect analyze and use information for decision-making; helping build consensus between the project and relevant local partners - Mzimba District Health Office (DHO) and Ekwendeni Mission Hospital. (excerpt)