Infant mortality in Cabinda, Angola: challenge to health public policies.

OBJECTIVE To critically discuss, describe and analyze the data on infant mortality provided by public health services of Cabinda, Angola. METHOD The deaths of children aged less than one year old in 2007 and 2008 were analyzed in the Cabinda province. Provincial hospital records and those of the WHO office were used due to the limited quality and availability of official information. RESULTS In 2007, 11,734 children were born, and 366 of them died in their first year of life: 113 on the first day, 87 by the 28th day and 166 in the remaining 337 days. In 2008, 13,441 children were born and 275 died; 109 died on the first day and 69 by the 28th day. Malaria was the main cause of death (one out of three). Pneumonia was the second cause in 2007 and the third in 2008, presenting consistent reduction, from 65 to 40 deaths. Cases of diarrhea from 2007 (9.83%) decreased to 3.27% in 2008. Tetanus accounted for about 5% of all deaths. Perinatal causes increased in proportion, particularly neonatal asphyxia (17.75% in 2007 and 26.90% in 2008) and prematurity (13.38% in 2007 and 17.45% in 2008). CONCLUSIONS Improvements in the quality of prenatal care, attendance during delivery and to new born risk, would reduce infant mortality. The lack of sanitation, inadequate water supply and poor access to health services played an important role as determinants of infant mortality observed in Cabinda. This study highlights the need to reorganize the civil registration system.