DIARRHEA MORTALITY IN ARACAJU, BRAZIL

We report diarrhoea mortality rates in the city of Aracaju, Brazil fro m 1992 to 1994 when there were 318 deaths due to diarrhoea. Eighty-nin e per cent of deaths occurred in infants: 53.1% were boys and 78.9% di ed in hospital. Diarrhoea mortality rates for children under 5 years o f age were 2.63, 1.78 and 1.28 for 1992, 1993 and 1994, respectively. The district with the most slums and least sewerage services had the h ighest mortality rates (4.29, 2.53 and 1.87 for 1992, 1993 and 1994, r espectively) and the district with most services and fewest slums had the lowest rates each year (0.79, 0.55 and 0.38). Malnutrition was ass ociated with diarrhoea on 26.5% of death certificates. Mortality rates fell during the study period but still remained high in infants from poor areas of the city. Study of the geographical distribution of mort ality allowed identification of priority areas for targeted interventi ons.