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This monograph reports on studies based on a demographic and disease surveillance system maintained for 8 years in a rural area of Machakos District Kenya by the Medical Research Centre in Nairobi. This surveillance system made it possible to conduct a number of population-based longitudinal studies on various aspects of maternal and child health. The studys a aims were to obtain accurate data on 1) morbidity and mortality from measles whooping cough acute respiratory infections and diarrhea in children 0-4 years old; 2) nutritional status and health behaviors and attitudes; 3) maternal and perinatal mortality in relation to delivery care; and 4) vital statistics for a vital registration system. Approximately 4000 households were visited biweekly (until September 1978) and then monthly (until April 1981). The longitudinal studies covered child growth pregnancy outcome nutritional status in pregnancy and in infants and vaccine trails for measles and diptheria pertussis and tetanus (DPT). Cross-sectional studies considered a number of environmental variables including socioeconomic status sanitation and attitudes and behavior related to pregnancy measles and diarrhea. Demographic studies examined migration patterns and the impact of urban residence on fertility. Agricultural studies focused on food production and availability. Weather stations monitored rainfall temperature and humidity. The study population comes from a Bantu tribe the Kamba; their cooperation with the study was excellent except in the taking of blood samples. 2 continual problems were the shortage of middle-level administrative staff and data processing bottlenecks.
Ginneken et al. (Tue,) studied this question.