Reducing child mortality: the contribution of Ceará state, northeast of Brazil, on achieving the Millennium Development Goal 4 in Brazil.

To describe the experience of Ceará, Northeast of Brazil, state on improving child survival, over a 20 year period, and discuss its contribution to Brazil's progress toward the achievement of MDG 4. Five population-based, statewide household surveys, with children <3 years of age, known as PESMIC (Mother and Child Health Survey of Ceará), were conducted in 1987, 1990, 1994, 2001 and 2007. They aimed to investigate levels and causes of mortality and access to child health services. The cluster sampling of 8,000 households identified 2,000 children on average. They used the same methodological approach and indicators. Important changes occurred in demographic and health indicators in the 20 year period, including 81 % reduction in the infant mortality rate, 43 % increase in breastfeeding rate and the achievement of a 95 % immunization rate. The prevalence of chronic malnutrition declined from 28 to 13 % and acute malnutrition from 13 to 5 %. Diarrheal diseases contributed with 36.6 % to the infant mortality in 1986 and 3.9 % in 2007. The major improvements in child health contributed substantially to the progress on MDG 4 in Brazil. Results of the 5 surveys produced reliable information for planning and evaluation that contributed to the remarkable progress made by the state.

Metodologia das Pesquisas Populacionais de Saúde Materno-Infantil: uma série transversal realizada no Estado do Ceará de 1987 a 2007 / Method of the Populational Researches in Maternal and Child Health: a transversal series held in the State of Ceará from 1987 to 2007

Descrever os métodos utilizados nas Pesquisas de Saúde Materno-Infantil (PESMIC) no Ceará, durante 20 anos. Métodos: a série de inquéritos realizados no período de 20 anos foi analisada nos seguintes aspectos: a) Estudos transversais em série de base populacional, com amostra representativa de 8000 famílias; b) Utilizou-se questionários e medições antropométricas, estudando-se níveis e causas de mortalidade infantil, prevalência de desnutrição da mãe e da criança, duração da amamentação, cobertura vacinal, prevalência e manejo da diarreia e acesso aos serviços de saúde materno-infantil; c) Obteve-se como resultado as variáveis desfechos (principal mortalidade infantil) e diversos determinantes materno-infantis e socioeconómicos. Resultados: o índice de resposta foi de quase 100 por cento nos cinco inquéritos realizados (1986-2007), e ocorreram importantes mudanças nos indicadores sociodemográficos e de saúde; redução de 81 por cento da taxa de mortalidade infantil, aumento de 43 por cento da taxa de amamentação; índice de imunização de 95 por cento. Observou-se aumento de 243 por cento do índice de sobrepeso. Foram entrevistados no total somado dos cinco estudos: 177.132 residentes, sendo 47.508 mulheres e 13.049 crianças. Conclusões: recomenda-se a continuidade desses estudos utilizando-se a mesma metodologia, possibilitando analises de variações temporais...

Describe the methods used in mother-child health studies (PESMIC), over a period of 20 years in Ceará. Methods: a series of studies carried out over a twenty-year period were examined with regard to the following aspects: a) population-based cross-sectional series studies, with a representative sample of 8000 families; b) questionnaires and anthropo-metric measurements were used, studying the levels and causes of infant mortality, the prevalence of mother and child malnutrition, the duration of breastfeeding, vaccination coverage, the prevalence and management of diarrhea and access to mother-child health services; c) the results obtained were outcome variables (mainly infant mortality) and various determining factors relating to the child and the mother and social and economic conditions. Results: the response rate was nearly 100 percent for the five studies (1986-2007) and there were important changes in socio-demographic and health indicators, an 81 percent reduction in the infant mortality rate, a 43 percent increase in breastfeeding an immunization rate of 95 percent. There was also a 243 percent increase in overweight. In total the five studies covered 177,132 residents, 47,508 women and 13,049 children. Conclusion: it is recommended that these studies should be continued using the same methodology, making it possible to analyze variations over time...