Mortality rates of black infants in Soweto compared with other regions of South Africa.

Mortality rates (MRs)/100,000 for 1980 were calculated for black infants under 1 year of age for all causes of death and for the leading causes of death--gastro-enteritis, ill-defined causes, perinatal conditions, and the pneumonias--in three regions, Soweto, the 34 'selected' magisterial districts (all urban) and the rural areas in the RSA. The results showed a low MR for all causes of death (2813,7/100,000) and a low ranking of gastro-enteritis (third) in Soweto. In contrast the infant health situation in the 34 'selected' magisterial districts showed an MR from all causes of death which was three times higher (8,594/100,000) than in Soweto and gastro-enteritis was the leading cause of death with an MR 10 times higher than in Soweto. If the infant deaths and infant population in Soweto are subtracted from these figures in the 34 'selected' magisterial districts the MR is 10,156,8/100,000. Valid comparisons between the MRs of the rural areas and either Soweto or the 34 'selected' magisterial districts cannot be made. The MRs of the causes of death in the rural areas of 3,456/100,000 are palpably incorrect and due to under-reporting. An estimation of the under-reporting is that at least 20,000 infant deaths in rural areas were not reported in 1980, compared with the 14,327 deaths which were reported.