Table 1

Summary of characteristics of respondents and their deceased children*

Characteristic	Total (n=38)		Agincourt (n=19)		AHRI (n=19)
Characteristic	N	%	N	%	N	%
Age of the deceased child
0–27 days (neonate)	4	11	2	11	2	11
1–11 months	16	42	9	47	7	37
12–59 months	18	47	8	42	10	53
Sex of deceased child
Male	21	55	11	58	10	53
Female	17	45	8	42	9	47
Relationship of respondent to the deceased
Mother	27	71	10	53	17	89
Father	2	5	2	11	0	0
Grandmother	7	18	5	26	2	11
Aunt	2	5	2	11	0	0
Place of death
Home	16	42	6	32	10	53
Healthcare facility	19	50	12	63	7	37
On route	3	8	1	5	2	11
Cause of death
Acute respiratory infection	11	29	8	42	3	16
Diarrhoeal disease	4	11	0	0	4	21
Meningitis/Encephalitis	3	8	0	0	3	16
Neonatal conditions	3	8	2	11	1	5
Burns	2	5	2	11	0	0
Other	5	13	3	16	2	11
Unknown	10	26	4	21	6	32
Household socioeconomic quintile within HDSS
1 (poorest)	8	21	7	37	1	5
2	9	24	5	26	4	21
3	7	18	4	21	3	16
4	7	18	1	5	6	32
5 (least poor)	7	18	2	11	5	26
Mother’s HIV status
Positive	8	21	3	16	5	26
Negative	23	61	14	74	9	47
Unknown/Unreported	7	18	2	11	5	26
Mozambican descent	Not totalled		4	21	–	–
Sought formal healthcare outside the home	32	84	16	84	16	84
Used traditional medicine or consulted a traditional healer for child’s final illness	6	16	1	5	5	26
Used traditional medicine or consulted a traditional healer for previous childhood illness	10	26	3	16	7	37

*Data for table 1 is drawn from data collected as part of the routine household survey conducted in each site, as well as data collected specifically as part of this study.
AHRI, Africa Health Research Institute.