Trends in Children’s Environments and Well-Being in Tanzania since 1990

Abstract

In examining general trends of child well-being in Tanzania from the early 1990s to the present, there are only a few areas in which there have been improvements for all groups within any indicator. In this paper we concentrate on under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) and education. We also explore some of the environmental (housing, water, and sanitation) and some poverty-related (malnutrition, immunization) elements which may help explain the U5MR trends.

Education has enjoyed the most progress in terms of an increase in access and reduction of the gender gap. Progress in the area of nutrition, sanitation, and DTP3 immunization has been uneven, with certain sections of society advancing while others remain stagnant or advance at a much slower pace. This has resulted in growing inequalities in these indicators. Unless the benefits of better nutrition, access to water, and sanitation and immunization start to spread throughout the population, it is likely that disparities in U5MR will increase and advances in average U5MR will slow down.