The main causes of institutional neonatal deaths are according to the National Assessment of Maternal and Neonatal Health Needs in Mozambique (ANN, 2007/2008) the following:

• premature birth (50%)
• serious suffocation (32%)
• neonatal sepsis (29%).

About 32% of the neonatal deaths occur in the first 24 hours after delivery, and 49% after the first 24 hours after the delivery until the seventh day.

According to the 2007/8 National Survey about the Causes of Mortality, malaria is the first cause of death in under-fives (42.3%), followed by AIDS (13.4%), pneumonia (6.4%), and diarrhoea (5.9%).

The use of mosquito nets is among the most effective methods to prevent malaria and the percentage of under-fives sleeping the previous night under a mosquito net increased from 10% in 2003 to 42% in 2008 (MICS), with a higher increase in the rural areas.

The 2008 data show that 65% of the children with symptoms of an acute respiratory infection were taken to health clinic against 51% in 2003 (IDS) and that 47% of the children who had diarrhoea received oral rehydration therapy against 71% in 2003.

The prevalence of chronic malnutrition among under-fives decreased from 48% in 2003 (IDS) to 44% in 2008 (MICS), which is however still high.

The nutritional status of the children varies substantially according to the mother’s level of schooling: almost one in each two under-fives, whose mother has not been to school, is affected by chronic malnutrition, against one in each four children whose mother has a secondary level of schooling or above.

With a view to reduce child mortality, the sector has been implementing the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy. However, in 2009 the IMCI coverage was 80% of the health network, representing a regression compared to the 90% achieved in 2008.

ANN 2007/2008 shows serious deficiencies in the availability of goods for neonatal health: 35.1% of the delivery rooms did not have an operational ambulance for reanimating newborn babies, 79% of the delivery rooms did not have antibiotics (Ampicillin) on the day of the visit, 54% did not have antiretroviral syrup (Nevirapine), and about 73% did not have vitamin K for babies.

Source: Report on the Millennium Development Goals - Mozambique 2010