Infant mortality in the perception of health managers and professionals: determinants of its decline and current challenges in a southern Brazilian town

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the perception of health managers and professionals of determinants for the decline in infant mortality over the last decades, as well as the challenges to keep on reducing the values of this indicator in Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. A qualitative research was conducted by analyzing the interviews of 38 managers, health professionals, and researchers, selected using the so-called snowball technique. According to respondents’ view, the determinants for reducing infant mortality were improvements in life conditions and measures implemented through public policies and sector and extra-sector actions. The current challenges are mainly related to providing a better prenatal care, reducing adolescent pregnancy, improving the hospital care provided to a premature newborn infant, prematurity prevention, and funding by the Brazilian National Health System. The increased proportion of neonatal deaths makes reducing infant mortality more complex and difficult. Understanding difficulties and identifying challenges, in the perception of health managers and professionals, may contribute to planning the actions needed to improve the health of children under 1 year of age and reduce infant mortality.