Country with High Mortality: Cameroon (Essay Sample)

Country with High Mortality: Cameroon Name Institution Health disparities are increasingly creating economic burdens to communities, families, as well as health care systems for different nations (Newman, 2007). Across the world, chronic diseases, and infant mortality have continued affecting people of all races. In recent years, there has been increased research on the causes of these deaths with the focus shifting on the impact of health disparities in developing nations. Newman (2012) contents that Africa is the most affected region when it comes to health disparities. Newman contents that that globally, one death in five is from a communicable or infectious disease. What is more appalling is that most of these deaths occur in developing countries. Cameroon is one of the developing countries which has been cited to have high mortality rate. World Health Organization (2011) indicates that HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases are the major cause of deaths in Cameroon. This paper seeks to discuss the causes of high mortality in Cameroon. This is with a view to highlight workable solutions to this problem. Mortality rate in Cameroon was last measured in 2011 and found to be at 383.19 (World Health Organization, 2011). This figure places it position 18 when ranked alongside other 20 countries in the world having highest mortality rate (World Health Organization 2011). It is indicated that this high mortality rate in Cameroon is largely contributed by high infant mortality and maternal mortality. For instance, research show that in Cameroon, mortality and Vitamin A deficiency rates in children are very high (Seth, 2009). Findings from Seth (2009) indicates that in Cameroon, for every 1,000 live births, 200 children die before reaching their fifth anniversary. 40 percent of these deaths are the underfives Vit A deficiency (Seth, 2009). Seth also shows that only 13 percent of children in Cameroon sleep under mosquito treated nets. Because of these, there has been reported increase in Maria in Cameroon. Reportedly, Maria account for well beyond 40 percent of deaths in Cameroon for children under five years (Newman, 2013). Research has shown that high maternity mortality is another contributor to the overall increased mortality rates in Cameroon. As found out by Newman (2013) maternal mortality in Cameroon stands at 680 per 100,000 births. This being the case, the question is what causes these high infant and maternal mortality rates in Cameroon. It is largely indicated that that in Cameroon, low birth weight contributes to 70-80 percent of infant mortality rates (Newman, 2013). The New England Journal of Medicine indicate that infants weighing 3000 to 3500 grams have the lowest mortality rat (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012). As for the infants weighing 2500 grams or less, their mortality rates increases rapidly with decreasing weight. As for infants born with weight 1000 grams or less do not survive. Compared to the normal-birth-weight infants, infants with low weight during birth have almost 40 times chances of dying in a neonatal period (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012). With regard to very low-weight infants at birth, risk of neonatal deaths is approximately 200 times higher. The infant mortality caused by low birth weight is directly stems from other medical related complications such as poor maternal nutritional status, prenatal birth, and maternal sickness of the mother during pregnancy, lack of prenatal care, unhygienic home environment (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012). Studies indicate that birth weight and period of gestation are two key important predictor of infant’s survival and the overall health of the infant (Chandrasekhar et al., 2012). Another factor that contributes to high mortality rates among pregnant mothers and infants alike, is malnutrition. As noted by Newman (2012).) malnutrition frequently accompany most of the diseases that cause high maternal and child mortality rates. One of the key contributing factor to the complications of pneumonia and diarrhea is malnutrition. Besides, the nutritional status, socioeconomic status, accessibility to sanitation facilities and clean water, disruption of traditional lifestyles, age, sanitation facilities, and the breast-feeding status contribute to increased diarrhea. As noted above, vitamin A deficiency, and protein energy micronutrient and malnutrition deficiency are among the major causes of high child mortality in Cameroon. Jamison (2009) indicate that Cameroon has an estimated number of 937,700 infants under age five years affected with Vitamin A deficiency. A recent Health and Demographic Survey, show that that in Cameroon, Child mortality rate is estimated at 200 meaning that for every 1000 births, 200 children succumb before age five. Jamison (2009) also showed that children with Vitamin A deficiency are at higher risk of dying. Jamison (2009) shows that among 6-59 months old children suffering from vitamin A deficiency is 1.80 times higher than those children without vitamin A deficiency. Protein energy micronutrient and malnutrition deficiency are cited as two main reasons for causing stunted growth among the under-five years children in Cameroon. Malnutrition lead to dehydration and diarrhea, and ultimately death. In Cameroon, majority of women are stunted with childhood nutrition as the major cause. Their bodies are often underdeveloped. This reduces their chances of giving birth. The underdeveloped bodies increases their probability of experiencing obstructed pregnancies. Protein-energy deficiencies leads to low-quality of breast milk, which is not nutritious and caloric. Research indicate that most childhood deaths in developed countries are caused by infectious diseases-diarrhea, malaria, measles, and acute respiratory infections. Acute respiratory infections such as bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and bronchitis account for about 30 percent of childhood deaths (Seth, 2009). In Cameroon, like n other developing nations, there are 95 percent of pneumonia cases. Malaria cases account 11 percent of childhood deaths in the developing world (Seth, 2009). Diarrhea is reportedly the second largest diseases causing childhood deaths in the developing world with measles as the fifth largest disease that cause deaths in the developing countries (Seth, 2009). Folic acid is suggested as one of the ways that can help combat iron deficiency. In Cameroon, just like other developing countries, violence is a pre-dominant vice and it is reportedly one of the causes of high infant mortality. Research, which was conducted in 8 countries in the developing world including Cameroon revealed that wife beating lead to both infant mortality and pregnancy loss (Seth, 2009). Other violence acts such as deliberate killing of babies, infanticide were found to be extremely hard to be documented. However, as it was revealed in this study, it is most probable that missing girls in Cameroon were as a result of infanticide. Practicing infanticide is a response to hard economic circumstances. One thing worth noting is that this vice of violence against children is widespread and affects developed nations such as the United States. A number of studies have been conducted in the west particularly in the United States on violence against infants including shaken head syndrome. Jamison (2009) showed that in both southern and western U.S. samples, men have more likelihood of being perpetrators of infant violence with biological fathers being more likely to cause fatal head trauma to children, followed by boyfriends. Besides violence, neonatal mortality as opposed to post neonatal mortality is less likely to directly lead to social, environmental, and economic conditions. The neonatal mortality are largely caused by preterm (premature) birth, birth weight, sudden infant deaths syndrome, and congenital malformations (Jamison, 2009). Infectious diseases such as tetanus, malaria, and pneumonia are the most common causes of postneonatal mortality (Newman, 2013). Therefore, in order to reduce post-neonatal mortality, an important factor is adequate nutrition. Adequate breast milk that can provide babies with antibodies and nourishment to help fight infectious diseases can be adopted by the government of Cameroon. In order to have adequate breast milk, mothers should be adequately nourished. Proper use of other breast milk substitutes can help boost infant nutrition. It is worth noting that practices such as diluting formula food with a view to cost save or mixing formula food with dirty water most commonly practiced in developing world, have negative effects on an infant’s health. To help avoid this, multinational corporations should be encouraged to promote substitutes of breast milk to Cameroonian women. Research has shown that close to 1.5 million deaths per year can be prevented if breast-feeding is highly encouraged (Seth, 2009). HIV and AIDs has largely been cited as one of the major causes of high mortality rates in Cameroon. In 2007, the number of individuals under ART and HIV care increased tremendously (Newman, 2013). Reasons cited as contributing to high HIV prevalence were limited access to, as well as utilization of services such as prevention-of-mother-to-child-transmission. It was indicated that nationally 30.7 percent of the population lack access to safe drinking water, and some 66.9 per cent lack adequate sanitation, resulting in regular outbreaks of cholera (Cur...