IV. THE PROFILE OF MORTALITY AND ITS DETERMINANTS IN SENEGAL, 1960-1980 P. Cantrelle,*

The purpose ofthis case study is to collect and analyse data on the profile of mortality and its determinants in Senegal over the two decades following independence (4 April 1960). This is a new page in the history of Senegal, but any comparison with prior periods is impossible, since there are virtually no data on mortality during the colonial period, except in Dakar and SaintLouis. The study involves the national level as well as the regional level. In each case an attempt is made to extract what is known of mortality trends and determinants and in particular those of infant and child mortality, ~ age group that represents more than one half of total deaths and nearly two thirds in rural areas. Senegal is one of the few countries of tropical Africa to h~ve good demo.graphic data and in-depth studies, making the analysis of determinants possible. This country exhibits the features of numerous tropical countries with low income, but it also has certain distinctive traits: in particular, an exceptional infant-child mortality pattern and a high concentration of child deaths during the rainy season. During the 1960sSenegal was also a pioneer in certain tropical health programmes: campaigns against malaria, mass vaccinations against measles, and the establishment of regional hospitals and dispensaries. An attempt is made to assess these activities in relation to mortality.