Infant Mortality Rate Declines- UBOS Health Survey Reveals

The Uganda National Bureau of Statistics report on health survey has revealed that there has been a great decline in the infant mortality rate in the last five years, Spyreports can exclusively report.

The Demographic and Health Survey 2022 report which was released today by State Minister for Finance and Economic Planning Hon Amos Lugolobi at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, indicates that there is a reduction in infant mortality. "The infant mortality rate reduced from 88 deaths per 1000 live births in 2000-01 to 36 deaths per 1000 live births in 2022," Says UBOS Health Survey report.

The UBOS reports further show that under-5 mortality also declined from 151 deaths per 1000 live births to 52 deaths live births in the same period.

The Minister while delivering his speech, thanked the UBOS, Ministry of Health, Makerere University, UNFPA, and other state holders for joint collaboration to ensure the report was conducted. "The Government needs to develop and Maintain the National Statistical system to manage statistics," Says the Minister.

The United Nations Representative in Uganda Ms Susan Ngongi says good leadership is very critical in delivering Demographic Health Survey (UDHS). "I want to salute the Government of Uganda for its continued commitment to building a strong National Statistical System and the UBOS for its technical leadership in ensuring quality and timely production of data and statistics," She says. She adds that Globally, Demographic health surveys are recognized as an important source of data and statistics for National planning processes."I am glad that over the years, Uganda's capacity to design and manage these surveys has become stronger.

Thanks to all development patterns who have collaborated with UBOS, " She notes. She further states that the report shows many areas in which progress has been improved and among are access to maternal health care and steady declines in maternal and childhood mortality rates.

"These and other improvements reflect the hard work, sacrifice, and dedication of Government, health workers especially those on the frontlines," Sounds UN Boss. She however says that teenage pregnancy rates have remained essentially stagnant for two decades which we need to work on. "What we are doing is not working at the macro level. We need to take a closer look at evidence-based approaches to information and hence we make it available for teens to protect themselves," She added that in Uganda girls become mothers at the age of 14,15,16, and all corresponding to harmful impacts on their lives and the entire society. She added that the report also reveals the significant gender gaps across many dimensions including education, sexual violence, and HIV.

Dr Chris Mukiza the Executive Director of UBOS says the UDHS program is undertaken every five years and UBOS last implemented it in 2016. "The survey provides indicators on maternal and child mortality, nutrition, malaria, and HIV prevalence among other key health-related statistics and information," Says Dr Mukiza.

The UBOS boss says clean water and sanitation are critical aspects of human development processes and require clean data. "By making good use of quality data that is produced by using well-coordinated approach, monitoring and development initiatives have been made easy," Says Dr Mukiza. He says that UDHS has been implemented in Uganda since 1988 and UBOS has over the years developed sufficient technical capacity to implement such statistical undertakings.

"We have presented UDHS report 2022 in a unique defining factor that we have been able to produce a report without much external technical support," He added that this shows how the Government has invested in statistical production and development over the years. "I want to thank Healthy Ministry for strong synergies and fruitful collaborative efforts that have enabled us to generate these wonderful health indicators," he says adding that this statistical data and information will enhance the realisation of health development initiatives.