BIBLIOGRAPHIC INPUT SHEET TEMPORARY Patterns of mortality ...

.146. Patternsof Mortalityin Childhood
Salmonella infections (003) and enteritis of death among this group of intestinal indue
to other specified organisms (008), of fections excluding diarrheal disease (catewhich
pathogenic Escherichia coli was the gory 009). These deaths occurred princimost
commonly found, were the main causes pally in infancy.
MEASLES
Soon after the beginning of the field work cent of deaths from all causes, and in one
in the Investigation in 1968, many deaths project (Recife) for 29.7 per cent.
from measles were reported in two projects: Mortality from measles in children under
in Recife, where it was believed to be the 5 years is shown in Figure 73 and Table 76
usual occurrence and not an epidemic, and for 23 areas. The highest rates were in the
in the project in Bolivia. In the past the Bolivia project (746.3 per 100,000 populasize
of the measles death rate in Recife tion for Viacha and 358.1 for La Paz), and
was not known because the terminal the rate of 320.4 for Recife also indicated
cause (usually a lower respiratory infec- unusual mortality from this common distion)
was commonly the assignment made. ease of childhood. Measles mortality in
(Chapter XVII will show the differences in rural areas was usually much higher than
assignments based on death certificates and in the corresponding cities. Viacha's rate,
the information collected in the Investiga- for example, was more than twice that of
tion.) In La Paz, moreover, a problem of
terminology was uncovered and had to be Fic. 73. Mortality from Measles in Children
solved in order to arrive at a correct inter- Under 5 Years of Age in 23 Areas of 15 Projects.
pretation of the data.
DEATHS PE 100.000 POPULATION
These early findings in regard to measles 0 100 200 300 400 300 600 700 600
were reported to the Special Meeting of va,
Ministers of Health in Buenos Aires (Octo- lii
ber 1968) and led that body to recommend nsuvamwA
the establishment of vaccination programs S,Jn ,1
against the disease throughout the Amer-
00MAD LOWERPR ,
0 so0 00
icas (PAHO, 1969). Fortunately, vac- "
cine was obtained for a massive program in s Ju u suio
Recife in the second year of the study. Also, A M
vaccination against measles was started in tm0 )
La Paz.
MOM
Of the 35,095 deaths under 5 years of age f
studied in the Investigation, 2,108 or 6.0 suu (m
per cent were due to measles as underlying '
cause. If the neonatal period is excluded, u,,.s Am
the percentage comes to 9.4. In the second m'wf
year of life measles accounted for 19.9 per