Successes and Failures in the Fight against Child Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lessons from Senegal, a Country with Low AIDS Prevalence

Gilles Pison, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Laetitia Douillot, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Géraldine Duthé, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)
Malick Kante, Columbia University
Cheikh Sokhna, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)
Jean-François Trape, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)

Mortality has declined in Sub-Saharan Africa over the last 60 years but the decrease has not been regular: it accelerated over some periods, as during the last decade, and slowed down and mortality has even increased during other periods, as in the 1990’s. This was not solely attributable to AIDS. In this communication the trends in Senegal are examined in detail, as an example of a country little affected by AIDS but where trends in mortality have closely resembled those of the whole region. Both national and local level data are utilized, in particular the data produced by the demographic surveillance systems (DSS) in the three rural areas of Bandafassi, Mlomp and Niakhar. The trends in cause specific mortality for children over more than 25 years in the areas under surveillance will be contrasted with the evolution of socio-economic conditions and changes in health infrastructure and programs.