ABSTRACT
Introduction: Background & Objectives: Despite several interventions implemented for the improvement of infant survival, the pace of decline in infant mortality in the State of Andhra Pradesh during the last two decades has been rather slow. This paper examines determinants of infant mortality in a rural population of about 45000 in Medchal region of Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods: Data obtained through continuous (longitudinal) enumeration of household population and also from the cross-sectional survey of households carried out during 2008-09 in the study area were analyzed. A univariate analysis was carried out and followed by an application of binary logistic regression model to identify significant factors associated with infant mortality. Results: Despite a substantial increase in institutional deliveries in the study area, infant mortality rate remained relatively constant at 43±1. Socioeconomic variables such as education and household economic status and environmental variables such as access to safe drinking water and sanitation facility and use of clean cooking fuel emerged as significant predictors of infant survival. Interpretation & Conclusions: Promoting institutional deliveries by providing cash assistance to women by itself cannot be expected to bring down infant mortality to a low level in the absence of an improvement in socioeconomic and environmental conditions of the households.
ABSTRACT
Background: HIV/AIDS has turned out into global pandemic. In India under National AIDS Control Program (NACP) –III Integrated Counseling and Testing Centers (ICTC) were established throughout the country for providing prevention services through a holistic approach for all segments of the population. Objectives: To study the sociodemographic profile and risk behavior pattern of clients diagnosed HIV positive in the ICTC. Material & method: Study Design: Cross-sectional study (record based) Setting: Mediciti Institute of Medical Sciences, Andhra Pradesh. Subjects- All the 448 seropositive attendees during the year 2007-2010. Data pertaining to total 8845 clients, who availed the services from the ICTC during the above period was assessed for the time trend of HIV infection .Study Variables- Year of reporting, in-referral of the clients, age, sex, educational status, marital status, occupation and pattern of risk behavior in relation to HIV/AIDS. Statistical analysis- Data was analyzed in SPSS version 17.0 . Results: HIV prevalence was found to be declining over the last 4 years, except in 2008. Among the seropositives 62.7% were males and 37.3% were females. 85% were in the reproductive age group 78.1% were married;53.1% were illiterates. Majority of them are labourers from the agricultural background and housewives. In 83.9% of the individuals it is acquired through unprotected heterosexual intercourse. Conclusion- These findings should call for greater introspection among the program managers and facilitate for more customized local planning involving various stakeholders.