Trends and Determinants of Neonatal Mortality in Uganda: Analysis of the Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys

John Bosco Asiimwe, Makerere University
Wilson Nyegenye, Uganda Bureau of Statistics
Edmond Muyingo, Ministry of Health

Uganda’s neonatal mortality has stagnated at 27 deaths per 1,000 live births over the past decade, and the UN Sustainable Development Goal for reducing neonatal deaths risks being missed. Studying consistent factors over time that are associated with neonatal mortality could inform policy to reduce it. We used Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys and applied complementary log-log model and controlled for complex survey design in analyses. Children who were not put on breast milk immediately after birth and children of mothers with multiple maternal risk factors were associated with higher odds of neonatal deaths. There is a need to sensitize mothers about the importance of breastfeeding newborns immediately after birth. Interventions to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and promotion of contraceptive use to help avoid higher-risk childbearing are critical to reducing neonatal mortality in Uganda.