Estimation of infant and child mortality rates and identification of its determinants: a district level study.

The Sample Registration System (SRS) is the primary source of data on infant mortality. SRS provides National and State level estimates of neonatal post-neonatal and overall infant and child mortality by rural or urban sectors. State level estimates conceal large variation among districts within a state. The district level estimates of infant and child mortality rates as well as the factors affecting these mortalities can be obtained from sample surveys. This may help in improving and understanding the determinants of mortality and the regional variations in the rates and in assessing the relative importance of socio-economic developmental programmes and required health services. In view of this a district level sample survey in rural areas of North 24 Parganas West Bengal was conducted to determine the factors that go together to cause prevailing and anticipated high rates of infant and child mortality in some rural areas of West Bengal. The main objectives of the study are: i) to estimate the neonatal infant and child mortality rates by household survey based on the occurrences of such deaths found in the sample in rural sector of the North 24 Parganas West Bengal (ii) to learn the causes of infant mortality and its associated socio-economic and other influencing factors and (iii) to investigate the regional variations in mortality in relation to health facilities available in villages and blocks. (excerpt)