291. With regard to AIDS, 0.7% of Senegalese adults aged between 15-49 years
are HIV positive, according to 2010-2011 statistical data. This rate was the same
in 2005. Women in the regions of Kédougou (2.5%) and Kolda (2.4%) and
women who have not had primary education (1.2%) have higher HIV
prevalence rates than the others. Among the men, the highest HIV prevalence
rate can be found in the Kolda region (2.4%) and to a lesser extent in
Tambacounda (1.2%) and Ziguinchor (0.9%). Anti-retroviral drugs are free.
292. Irrespective of the type of child mortality considered, the fact still remains
that the level has gone up significantly. For the period between 2007 and 2011,
47 per 1000 live births died before their first birthday, out of which 29% died
between 0 and exactly 1 month ( accounting for 61.7% of infant mortality)
and 18% died between 1 and exactly 12 months. Among the infants who
reached their first birthday, 26% died before their fifth birthday.
293. In the same vein, infant and child mortality is very high in spite of the 45%
reduction recorded between 1992 and 2010-2011, a year in which the mortality
rate stood at 72 per1000 live births. To a large extent, this state of affairs is
attributable to the significant improvement in vaccine coverage at the national
level from 59% to 63% of infants of between 12-23 months. Thus, the attainment
of the objective of reducing infant and child mortality to 44 per 1000 live births
by 2015 may be compromised.
294. With regard to maternal mortality, it stood at 392 per 100 000 live births in
2010-2011, accounting for a decline of 2% in 6 years. However, this rate of
decline is too slow for the attainment of the MDG’s target of 127 deaths per 100
000 live births by 2015. However, efforts have been made in the area of
maternal health with the proportion of births assisted by a qualified birth
attendant increasing from 49%, in 1999, to 65.1% in 2010-2011. The rate of
antenatal consultation, with at least one antenatal visit moved upwards to
93.3% in 2010-2011, as against 74%, in 2007.
295. However, there is the need for further improvement in the reproductive
health services delivery by speeding up the process of reduction of maternal
mortality as well as maternal and neonatal morbidity. This foreshadows the
repositioning of family planning to cover unmet needs estimated at 29.4%. The
coverage of these needs will help reduce maternal mortality from 30 to 20% and
infant mortality from 12 % to 20%.
296. Moreover, the chronic malnutrition rate of children below 5 years of age
reduced by half from 30% in 2000 to 16% in 2001. By contrast, in the rural areas,
21% of children were affected by this form of malnutrition as against 12% in the
urban communities. The prevalence of malnutrition is high in regions such as
Sédhiou (27%), Kolda (26%), Saint-Louis (25%), Matam (25%), Kaffrine (24%),
Louga (23%), Tambacounda (22%) and Kédougou (21%) as against 9% in Dakar.
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