CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Every single day, Nigeria loses about 2,300 under-five year olds and 145 women of childbearing age. This makes the country the second largest contributor to the under–five and maternal mortality rate in the world. Underneath the statistics lies the pain of human tragedy, for thousands of families who have lost their children. Even more devastating is the knowledge that, according to recent research, essential interventions reaching women and babies on time would have averted most of these deaths and sorrow (UNICEF, 2017).

The rates of infant mortality have been significantly reduced in the developed world mainly due to improvements in basic health care and technological advances in the medical field. However, infant mortality remains a cause for major concern in developing countries especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Sub-Sahara remains the most difficult place in the world for a child to survive until age five (Hammer, Gaël P., et al., 2006 in Adam 2006).

UNICEF (2008) cited in Adam (2006) noted that In 2006, the under-five mortality rate for sub-Saharan Africa was 160 per 1,000 live births, meaning that roughly 1 in every 6 children failed to reach his/her fifth birthday. This represented a 14% reduction since 1990 but remains by far the highest rate of under-five mortality in the world. West Africa has been hit the hardest with under-five mortality in Africa and the world at large. West Africa accounted for more than 40% of Africa’s child deaths in 2006 constituting 2.1 million children (WHO, 2006 cited in Adams, 2016, pg 105).

The Central Intelligence Agency world infant mortality rankings for 2007 showed clearly that infant mortality rates in sub-Saharan African countries are tens to hundreds of times that of industrialized countries. WHO reported that rural infants, infants of uneducated mothers, and infants in poorer households continue to have higher mortality (WHO, 2006). There are also gender discrepancies in infant mortality where mortality rates may be higher for males than females in one country or community and vice versa in another.

The risk factors for such discrepancies may be biological, social, behavioral, or a combination of all three. The media has been used over time to promote public health thereby reaching a large audience. Matamoros (2011) explained that Mass media campaigns are generally aimed primarily to change knowledge, awareness and attitudes, contributing to the goal of changing behavior. There have been cases where the mass media was used to sensitize the populace on some health behaviors, an example is the Ebola breakout in (2014), the deadly meningitis (2017), HIV/AIDs, Polio, Measles, Malaria etc.

Media is an effective tool to use to promote public health. Media remains the most powerful, and yet the cheapest, mass medium for reaching large numbers of people in isolated areas. It is cheap to purchase and therefore is the one mass medium with which rural and slum communities are familiar; it is versatile and anyone - literate or illiterate can learn from it. (Moemeka, 1994 cited in Andesiah, 2015). Media has put in some efforts in promoting health. This is evident in programs aired in media stations as regards health behavior. However, infant mortality as a health issue continues to surge, families continue to lose infants before they get to really know them.

1. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The birth of a child brings so much joy to the family. Most families begin to celebrate the child right from his/her first day in the world. So one can only imagine the rude shock it will be if that child should die. The death of a child brings disappointment and carries a huge burden of grief, pain and heartbreak. The menace of infant death is one that is aggressively damaging to numerous households, terminating innocent lives and resulting in alarming unwarranted and preventable deaths. UNICEF stated that Infant mortality are caused by unpreventable and preventable or treatable infectious disease factors like Sudden infant Death Syndrome (SDS) malaria, pneumonia, diarrhea, measles and HIV/AIDS account for more than 70 per cent of the estimated one million under-five deaths in Nigeria. The media are intensively engaged in public health. Vast sums are spent annually for materials and salaries that have gone into the production and distribution of booklets, pamphlets, exhibits, newspaper articles, and media and television programs. These media are employed at all levels of public health in the hope that three effects might occur: the learning of correct health information and knowledge, the changing of health attitudes and values and the establishment of new health behavior (Matamoros, 2011). No doubt Media has been playing it role by promoting health through talk shows, jingles, drama, etc despite this, there is still a surge in Infant mortality rate. Issues associated with broadcast media in general require attention. This includes whether broadcast health programs devote enough time to issues bothering on infant mortality and health? Are these programs planned to adequately address core infant issues such as immunization, danger signs to watch out for, family planning, etc?.This study examined and assessed the role the Media has been and is still playing in preventing infant mortality and why it has not led to its decrease over the years. If these roles are performed and there seem to be no improvement, then there is a need for assessment and reassessment, this is what this study seeks to do.

1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The main aim of the research work is to examine the role of media in the control of child infant mortality. The specific objectives of the study are:

1. to determine the relationship between media and child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state
2. to determine the causes of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state
3. to examine whether the role of media in the control of child infant mortality is effective
4. to determine the strategies adopted by the media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state
5.  to investigate the factors affecting the role of media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state
6. to proffer solution to the issue of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The study came up with research questions so as to ascertain the above objectives of the study. The following research questions guide the objectives of the study:

1. What is the relationship between media and child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state?
2. What are the causes of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state?
3. Is the role of media in the control of child infant mortality effective?
4. What are the strategies adopted by the media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state?
5.  What are the factors affecting the role of media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state?
6. What is the solution to the issue of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state?

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE HYPOTHESIS

H0: there is no significant relationship between media and child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state

H1: there is significant relationship between media and child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state

1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study on the role of media in the control of child infant mortality will be of immense benefits to the media houses, nursing mothers and the health centers in Rumuolumeni Rivers state. The study will explore the strategies that can be used by media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state. The study will identify and proffer solution to the challenges faced by media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state. The study will also serve as a repository of information to other researchers that desire to carry out similar research on the above topic. Finally the study will contribute to the body of the existing literature on the study on the role of media in the control of child infant mortality

1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

 The study on the role of media in the control of child infant mortality will focus on child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state. The study will cover on the strategies that can be used by media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state and also the challenges faced by media in the control of child infant mortality in Rumuolumeni Rivers state

1.8 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work

 1.9 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Media: Media are the communication outlets or tools used to store and deliver information or data. The term refers to components of the mass media communications industry, such as print media, publishing, the news media, photography, cinema, broadcasting, and advertising

Child mortality: Child mortality, also known as child death, refers to the death of children under the age of 14 and encompasses natal mortality, under-5 mortality, and mortality of children aged 5–14

Infant mortality rate: Infant mortality rate (IMR) is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age. The rate for a given region is the number of children dying under one year of age, divided by the number of live births during the year, multiplied by 1,000