Nigeria

DHS Survey in 2003

Neonatal Mortality

Results for Nigeria 2003• Risk of neonatal mortality compared with 36-47

month birth interval: – Births less than 24 months: 164 % – Births 24-35 months: 86 %– Births 36-47 months: 100 %– Births 48+ months: 177 %– First births: 145 %

• Lowest neonatal mortality at 42-53 month birth intervals

Neonatal Mortality in Nigeria 2003

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

<18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 35 36 - 41 42 - 47 48 - 53 54 - 59 60 +

Duration of Preceding Birth Interval (months)

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Infant Mortality

Results for Nigeria 2003• Risk of infant mortality compared with 36-47 month

birth interval:

– Births less than 24 months: 180 %

– Births 24-35 months: 120 %

– Births 36-47 months: 100 %

– Births 48+ months: 89 %

– First births: 158 %

• Lowest infant mortality at 42+ month birth intervals

Infant Mortality in Nigeria 2003

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

< 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 35 36 - 41 42 - 47 48 - 53 54 - 59 60 +Duration of Preceding Birth Interval (Months)

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Under Five Mortality

Results for Nigeria 2003• Risk of under five mortality compared with 36-47

month birth interval: – Births less than 24 months: 150 %

– Births 24-35 months: 112 %

– Births 36-47 months: 100 %

– Births 48+ months: 97 %

– First births: 111 %

• Lowest under five mortality at 54+ month birth intervals

Under Five Mortality in Nigeria 2003

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

< 18 18 - 23 24 - 29 30 - 35 36 - 41 42 - 47 48 - 53 54 - 59 60 +

Duration of Preceding Birth Interval (months)

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Od

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Nigerian Preferences for Short Birth Intervals, 2003

• In Nigeria many women prefer short birth intervals, only 25% want births with less than 2 years spacing and 60% prefer an interval of less than 3 years

• For Nigeria as a whole, 28 percent of women have intervals shorter than 24 months, about the same percentage that prefer such short intervals.

• 64 percent of Nigerian women have intervals shorter than 36 months, only 4 percent more than those who prefer such intervals.

Percent of Birth Intervals Less than 24 Months, Actual and Preferred, Nigeria 2003

32

30

24

2825

32

21

31

23

29

19

23

0 10 20 30 40

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Northeast

Central

NIGERIA

Percent

Actual Preferred

Percent of Birth Intervals Less than 36 Months, Actual and Preferred, Nigeria 2003

68

68

69

58

59

64

70

54

64

54

58

60

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Northeast

Central

NIGERIA

Percent

Actual Preferred

Infant Mortality Rates with Existing Birth Intervals and Minimum Intervals of 24 and 36 months, Nigeria 2003

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

NIGERIA

Dea

ths

per

1000

bir

ths

Existing

Min. 24 mos.

Min. 36 mos.

20% of deaths averted

Additional 4% of deaths averted

Annual Number of Infant Deaths with Existing Birth Intervals and Minimum Intervals of 24 and 36 months, Nigeria 2005

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

NIGERIA

Tho

usan

ds o

f dea

ths

Existing

Min. 24 mos.

Min. 36 mos.

77,100 deaths averted

Additional 17,000 deaths averted

Under Five Mortality Rates with Existing Birth Intervals and Minimum Intervals of 24 and 36 months, Nigeria 2003

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

NIGERIA

Dea

ths

per

1000

bir

ths

Existing

Min. 24 mos.

Min. 36 mos.

12% of deaths avertedAdditional 3% of deaths averted

Annual Number of Under Five Deaths with Existing Birth Intervals and Minimum Intervals of 24 and 36 months

Nigeria 2005

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

NIGERIA

Tho

usan

ds o

f dea

ths

Existing Intervals

Min. 24 mos.

Min. 36 mos.

76,100 deaths avertedAdditional 20,200 deaths averted

In Nigeria, if no births occurred before 36 months of a preceding birth:

• Infant Mortality Rate would drop 24%

• Under Five Mortality Rate would drop 15%

• Deaths to children under five years of age would fall by 96,200 annually