STRUCTURE AND CAUSES OF MORTALITY IN THE KASSENA– NANKANA DISTRICT OF UPPER EAST REGION OF GHANA: 1995– 1999

ABSTRACT Since 1662 demographers have been interested in mortality with the discourse centred around how mortality movements had impacted on population characteristics such as growth. Later discussions have aimed at spotting variations within and between groups and corresponding social and biological distal and proximate determinants. This study contributes to the discussion on morbidity and mortality by analysing data from a rural district in the Upper East Region of Ghana in time, space, season and socio– demographic characteristics. The study adopted Omran’s (1971) epidemiological transition theory as a framework, and used longitudinal data between 1995 and 1999 from Navrongo Demographic Surveillance System site. Analyses of structure and causes of death were done at the population level. Results showed gradual shift in causes of death from communicable, maternal, prenatal and nutritional related diseases to non–communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease within the period. There was also a general decline in mortality, with the southern zone, the most rural reporting the highest in almost all the cause–specific and age–specific mortalities. The findings suggest that Omran’s model cannot have a strict universal application, as this study area, though relatively homogeneous, some notable spatial variations in the number of deaths and the causes thereof were observed. It is suggested that health needs must be assessed at more disaggregate levels since disease burdens differ substantially by time, space and socio–demographic characteristics.