Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The BMJ logoLink to The BMJ
. 1990 Nov 17;301(6761):1123–1127. doi: 10.1136/bmj.301.6761.1123

Famine in southern Ethiopia 1985-6: population structure, nutritional state, and incidence of death among children.

B Lindtjørn 1
PMCID: PMC1664269  PMID: 2252922

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To assess the effects of drought on mortality in children. DESIGN--Prospective epidemiological study forming part of nutritional monitoring during famine relief work. SETTING--24 Food distribution sites in Arero and Borana provinces in southern Ethiopia. PATIENTS--A monthly average of 14,173 and 5,334 children under 5 were examined in 1985 and 1986, respectively. Altogether 148,966 child months (105,872 for 1985 and 43,094 for 1986) were available for analysis. INTERVENTION--The families of all children were supplied with food each month. Basic medical care was also provided. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE--Mortality in children under 5. RESULTS--A 40% increase in crude mortality was observed among children living in traditional and stable societies. The severe consequences were observed mainly among children living in relief shelters, where a threefold to fourfold increase in crude mortality was recorded among children. Increased childhood mortality was also associated with high prevalence of malnutrition, living in the most arid areas, and the dry season. A long period of food aid was needed to normalise the nutritional state, especially for children living in relief shelters. CONCLUSIONS--The most severe consequences of the widespread famine that occurred in the Arero and Borana provinces of southern Ethiopia during 1985-6 were seen among children living in relief shelters. Early food intervention may decrease the scale of migration and thus also reduce the severe consequences of a famine.

Full text

PDF
1123

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Aaby P., Bukh J., Lisse I. M., Smits A. J. Measles mortality, state of nutrition, and family structure: a community study from Guinea-Bissau. J Infect Dis. 1983 Apr;147(4):693–701. doi: 10.1093/infdis/147.4.693. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bairagi R. A comparison of five anthropometric indices for identifying factors of malnutrition. Am J Epidemiol. 1987 Aug;126(2):258–267. doi: 10.1093/aje/126.2.258. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Belete S., Gebre-Medhin M., Hailemariam B., Maffi M., Vahlquist B., Wolde-Gebriel Z. Famine in Ethiopia. I. Study of shelter population in the Wollo region. J Trop Pediatr Environ Child Health. 1977 Feb;23(1):15–22. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bradley A. K., Macfarlane S. B., Moody J. B., Gilles H. M., Blacker J. G., Musa B. D. Malumfashi Endemic Diseases Research Project, XX. Demographic findings: mortality. Ann Trop Med Parasitol. 1982 Aug;76(4):393–404. doi: 10.1080/00034983.1982.11687562. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Chandra R. K. Nutrition, immunity, and infection: present knowledge and future directions. Lancet. 1983 Mar 26;1(8326 Pt 1):688–691. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)91980-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Chen L. C., Chowdhury A., Huffman S. L. Anthropometric assessment of energy-protein malnutrition and subsequent risk of mortality among preschool aged children. Am J Clin Nutr. 1980 Aug;33(8):1836–1845. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/33.8.1836. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Greene M. H. Impact of the Sahelian drought in Mauritania, West Africa. Lancet. 1974 Jun 1;1(7866):1093–1097. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(74)90568-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Lindtjørn B. Famine in Ethiopia 1983-1985: kwashiorkor and marasmus in four regions. Ann Trop Paediatr. 1987 Mar;7(1):1–5. doi: 10.1080/02724936.1987.11748463. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Loutan L., Lamotte J. M. Seasonal variations in nutrition among a group of nomadic pastoralists in Niger. Lancet. 1984 Apr 28;1(8383):945–947. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)92398-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Murray M. J., Murray A. B., Murray M. B., Murray C. J. Somali food shelters in the Ogaden famine and their impact on health. Lancet. 1976 Jun 12;1(7972):1283–1285. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(76)91748-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Prothero R. M. Disease and mobility: a neglected factor in epidemiology. Int J Epidemiol. 1977 Sep;6(3):259–267. doi: 10.1093/ije/6.3.259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Rowland M. G., Rowland S. G., Cole T. J. Impact of infection on the growth of children from 0 to 2 years in an urban West African community. Am J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;47(1):134–138. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/47.1.134. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Seaman J., Holt J., Rivers J. The effects of drought on human nutrition in an Ethiopian province. Int J Epidemiol. 1978 Mar;7(1):31–40. doi: 10.1093/ije/7.1.31. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Shears P., Berry A. M., Murphy R., Nabil M. A. Epidemiological assessment of the health and nutrition of Ethiopian refugees in emergency camps in Sudan, 1985. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1987 Aug 1;295(6593):314–318. doi: 10.1136/bmj.295.6593.314. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Smedman L., Sterky G., Mellander L., Wall S. Anthropometry and subsequent mortality in groups of children aged 6-59 months in Guinea-Bissau. Am J Clin Nutr. 1987 Aug;46(2):369–373. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/46.2.369. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Tomkins A. M. Protein-energy malnutrition and risk of infection. Proc Nutr Soc. 1986 Sep;45(3):289–304. doi: 10.1079/pns19860067. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Toole M. J., Waldman R. J. An analysis of mortality trends among refugee populations in Somalia, Sudan, and Thailand. Bull World Health Organ. 1988;66(2):237–247. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Victora C. G., Vaughan J. P., Kirkwood B. R., Martines J. C., Barcelos L. B. Risk factors for malnutrition in Brazilian children: the role of social and environmental variables. Bull World Health Organ. 1986;64(2):299–309. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from BMJ : British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES