Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Infant and under-five mortality in Afghanistan: current estimates and limitations

Kavitha Viswanathan, Stan Becker, Peter M Hansen, Dhirendra Kumar, Binay Kumar, Haseebullah Niayesh, David H Peters & Gilbert Burnham

Volume 88, Number 8, August 2010, 576-583

Table 1. Estimated infant and under-five mortality rates, by maternal age group and with estimation method indicated, obtained from historical surveys in Afghanistan, 1972–2003

Source of historic estimate Year IMR U5MR Maternal age group (years) Mortality calculation method Comment
National
NDFGS, 1972–19747 1971 220 335 20–24 Brass: the estimate presented in the report is closest to the West model The estimated U5MR was not presented in the survey report but was calculated here using raw unadjusted data on total number of women in the different age groups, children born and children surviving, obtained from Trussell & Brown.8 The paper presents the West model estimate. The report did not give the woman’s age on the year of the estimate, but the 20–24 year age group was chosen as it most closely matched the estimate in the survey report. The unadjusted estimated IMR presented was 185 per 1 000 live births.
Afghanistan Census, 19799 1979 183 NA – Due to insecurity, the census was only completed in 55–60% of the country; precensus estimates were used for areas not covered.
MICS, 199710 1994 142 233 25–29 Brass (model used not known) The U5MR estimate is from UNICEF’s Best estimates 2006. The 1997 MICS report did not present an U5MR estimate.
MICS 200311 2002 115 172 15–19 Brass: South model Reported, but rejected by UNICEF headquarters due to doubts about data quality
Rural
NDFGS, 1972–19747 1971 232 388 20–24 Brass: the estimate presented in the report is closest to the North model The U5MR estimate was not presented in the survey report, but was calculated here using raw unadjusted data on total number of women in the different age groups, children born and children surviving in rural areas, obtained from Trussell & Brown.8 The North model estimate is presented here to keep the IMR and U5MR estimates comparable. The report did not give the woman’s age on the year of the estimate, but the 20–24 year age group was chosen as it most closely matched the estimate given in the survey report.
Regional/refugee
MICS 200311 2002 121 183 15–19 Brass: South model Reported but rejected by UNICEF headquarters due to doubts about data quality
CDC/UNHCR, 198512 1984 156 225 – Direct (nutrition and mortality survey) Afghan refugees in Pakistan: North-west Frontier, Punjab and Balochistan provinces
CDC/UNHCR, 198512 1985 119 NA – Direct (nutrition and mortality survey) Afghan refugees in Pakistan: North-west Frontier, Punjab and Balochistan provinces
CDC/UNHCR, 198612 1986 81 121 – Direct (nutrition and mortality survey) Afghan refugees in Pakistan: North-west Frontier, Punjab and Balochistan provinces
UNHCR13 1989 73 93 – Direct Afghan refugees in Pakistan: North-west Frontier province.
CDC/UNHCR/Médecins Sans Frontières, Netherlands, 199014 1990 84 127 – Direct Afghan refugees in Pakistan: North-west Frontier and Balochistan provinces. The IMR for Afghan refugees in Pakistan for 1984–1990 is similar to the national IMR of 107.7 per 1 000 live births for Pakistan for 1988.15
UNICEF MICS, 200016 1995 113 165 25–29 Brass: West model Conducted in 6 eastern Afghan provinces: Ghanzi, Kunar, Laghman, Nangarhar, Paktika and Paktiya
Bartlett et al., 200517 2000a 78 109 NA Direct for IMR and Brass for U5MR Conducted in one district in Kabul City
Bartlett et al., 200517 2000a 128 190 NA Direct for IMR and Brass for U5MR Conducted in one semiurban district in Laghman province
Bartlett et al., 200517 2000a 217 323 NA Direct for IMR and Brass for U5MR Conducted in one remote rural district in Badakhshan province

CDC, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; IMR, infant mortality rate; MICS, Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey; NA, not available; NDFGS, Afghanistan Demographic and Family Guidance Survey; U5MR, under-five mortality rate; UNHCR, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; UNICEF, United Nations Children's Fund.

a Survey covered 1999 to 2002, with the mid-point for the IMR estimate in late 2000. The year of the estimated U5MR is unknown.