English  Français

Mortality Patterns of the Working Age-Group in a Cosmopolitan City Slum in Nigeria

Funke A. Fayehun, Department of Sociology, University of Ibadan

Although there are empirical findings on mortality patterns among people living in urban areas as a whole over the last decade, yet specific-cause mortality patterns of the working age-group living in rapidly growing urban slum settlements is poorly documented. Access to reliable data is a major problem confronting such mortality study in countries like Nigeria. Data on working age population is almost nonexistent. With high population and sprawling urban slums, this study describes mortality pattern and causes of death among working age population in Lagos, a major cosmopolitan and megacity in Nigeria. Based on 24-month hospital death register of slum residents, results showed that 5 in 10 deaths were from non-communicable diseases, 3 in 10 deaths occurred from communicable diseases while maternal conditions accounted for 1 in 10 deaths. Specifically, the leading causes of death were cerebrovascular diseases, HIV/AIDS, diabetes mellitus, maternal conditions and other infectious diseases. Females have higher risk of HIV/AIDS deaths than males. Also, a high mortality turnover was recorded within first 4 days of hospital admission. The study contributes to understanding of cause-specific deaths in Nigeria’s city slums. It recommends that inclusive health infrastructure be improved in cities to cope with growing urban population.

Keywords: Health and morbidity, Urbanization and urban populations, Environmental studies, Mortality

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session P1.