Mortality among Children under Five Drops by Nearly Half in Tanzania Mainland

Mortality among children under age five in Tanzania mainland from all causes has dropped nearly 45% from 1999 to 2010, according to a Roll Back Malaria Partnership report. With support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), and other partners, there was an increase in funding for malaria control that led to distribution of more than 18 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets (ITNs) and increased rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) to properly detect and treat malaria. The investment could have substantially contributed to the decrease in deaths. MEASURE Evaluation provided funding and technical assistance through a multi-partner impact evaluation in the country that contributed to these findings.

MEASURE Evaluation and partners, including the National Malaria Control Program—Tanzania, PMI, and MEASURE DHS, formed the Tanzania Mainland Impact Evaluation Team that assessed and documented the program’s effect in reducing all causes of under five mortality in the country.

The evaluation team gathered and assessed data from national scale surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys from 1992 to 2010. The team also looked at both outcome indicators, such as the proportion of households with at least one ITN; and impact indicators, such as the all-cause under five mortality rate. Contextual factors were also considered, including climatic factors, housing conditions, women education, use of health care, children nutrition status, immunization, vitamin A supplementation, and other factors

While the impact evaluation team found country ownership was key in conducting the impact evaluation, it also noted external oversight of the process is important.

See a presentation of the team’s process, and the Roll Back Malaria Partnership report.