The impact of HIV on the summary birth history method of estimating child mortality: a Zimbabwean demographic surveillance case study

• Main Author: Chitiyo, Vivian
• Other Authors: Dorrington, Rob
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: Demography
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/10265

Includes bibliographic references (leaves 74-79). === The summary birth history method has been an integral part of the measurement of childhood mortality in countries with incomplete and inaccurate vital registration systems. Estimates from this method are biased downwards in the presence of HIV/AIDS on account of the violation of the underlying assumptions of the method, mainly the correlation between the mortality of mothers and their children. The longitudinal survey data of the Manicaland HIV/STD Prevention study in Zimbabwe conducted between 1998 and 2005 were analysed to assess the extent of this bias. The aggregate bias was found to be significant, 5-11 percent. However, in practice, it may be counteracted to some extent by other possible biases in the summary birth history method in general, and hence, the impact of HIV on the estimates may not be as significant.