Rapid Mortality Monitoring (RMM) Project

The RMM project aims to monitor real-time changes in under-five mortality in poor countries with weak vital registration systems. There are new and expanded efforts and resources to reduce child mortality and achieve the fourth Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on the part of countries, bilateral development agencies including those of Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom, and the United Nations.

Under the Catalytic Initiative to Save a Million Lives, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and UNICEF are supporting the implementation of the Integrated Health Systems Strengthening in seven countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, and Tanzania) to accelerate progress toward MDG-4. At the same time there is increased demand for accountability and demonstration of evidence of real-time results and impact on under-five mortality. In fact, the Catalytic Initiative partners are committed to assessing change in under-five mortality as an indicator of performance and are making later disbursements of funds to UNICEF contingent on evidence of declines in mortality. However, in low-income countries where health systems are weak and vital registration data are not available, commonly used demographic methods provide childhood mortality estimates for periods three to five years prior to measurement. With funding from CIDA, IIP is developing the RMM project to monitor changes in under-five mortality associated with the Catalytic Initiative in up to six countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Niger and Mozambique. In all countries, IIP will contract with in-country research institutions to implement and assess the RMM methods.