Mortality in Ghana: Evidence from the cape coast project data

Abstract

This paper deals with the estimation of mortality for a rural community of about 20,000 persons in the rain-forest area of south-west Ghana. Specifically, infant, child and adult mortality estimates have been obtained by the application of a wide range of direct and indirect methods of measuring mortality from the different statistics collected by a longitudinal mortality and fertility project conducted during 1974–7. It was noted that infant and childhood mortality rates obtained from death registrations were consistent with those rates yielded by pregnancy histories and child survival statistics. However, the adult mortality estimates derived from orphanhood statistics tended to be lower than those suggested by death registrations. The analysis revealed an infant mortality rate of 100 for boys and 84 for girls, equal childhood mortality rates for boys and girls (85–6), a lower expectation of life at birth for men (45.8 years) than for women (52.8), and a much more severe incidence of mortality among men aged over 40 than for women at the corresponding ages.

The project described here was funded by the Population Council and was based at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. The analysis was carried out at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

The project described here was funded by the Population Council and was based at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. The analysis was carried out at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Notes

The project described here was funded by the Population Council and was based at the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana. The analysis was carried out at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

S. K. Jain

The data were collected while he was a staff member in the Department of Sociology, The University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, during 1973–6. The author wishes to express his sincere gratitude to Professor J. C. Caldwell of the Australian National University for his advice and encouragement throughout the project.