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Child health

Understanding the causes of high infant and child mortality and morbidity among the poor of Asia 's cities
In recent decades infant and child mortality in the developing countries of Asia have declined. However, the urban poor have lagged the urban elites and to some extent their rural counterparts. This is a particular concern as the urban population is growing rapidly across the developing world and consequently the urban poor are an increasing proportion of the total poor.

The Australian Research Council has funded NCEPH to undertake ‘ The cultural, social and institutional determinants of child survival among the poor in Asian cities: Insights for future prevention', a project designed to examine the key factors contributing to continuing high levels of infand child mortality among the urban poor of two rapidly growing Asian cities, Dhaka, Bangladeesh and Jakarta, Indonesia. Dr Bruce Caldwell has received a QEII Fellowship for this work.

In Dhaka mortality rates are declining but not as impressively as in rural Bangladesh. A major cause for concern is continuing high neonatal mortality related in part to a high proportion of births taking place at home without adequate access to maternal health services. In Jakarta infant and child mortality levels continue to be better than in rural areas but the poorer populations of the city's fringes lag behind their richer and more central counterparts.

Projects:

Dhaka quantitative study

Dhaka qualitative study

Neonatal mortality in Bangladesh

Jakarta study

East Timor

Contact: Bruce Caldwell