Explain how infant mortality can be used to measure the health status of a population. (4 marks)
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- Infant mortality reflects a population’s overall wellbeing and survival prospects. This occurs because it measures deaths before age one, which indicates underlying health conditions.
- Low infant death rates demonstrate effective healthcare access and quality medical services. This shows that preventative measures like immunisation programs and maternal support are working successfully.
- For instance, when Australian infant mortality declined from 2010 to 2020, this revealed improvements in prenatal screening and neonatal care. As a result, more infants survived their vulnerable first year.
- Infant mortality data enables health authorities to identify at-risk communities. This allows targeted interventions where mortality rates remain elevated.
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- Infant mortality reflects a population’s overall wellbeing and survival prospects. This occurs because it measures deaths before age one, which indicates underlying health conditions.
- Low infant death rates demonstrate effective healthcare access and quality medical services. This shows that preventative measures like immunisation programs and maternal support are working successfully.
- For instance, when Australian infant mortality declined from 2010 to 2020, this revealed improvements in prenatal screening and neonatal care. As a result, more infants survived their vulnerable first year.
- Infant mortality data enables health authorities to identify at-risk communities. This allows targeted interventions where mortality rates remain elevated.