BACKGROUND The rate of decline in child mortality is too slow in most African countries to achieve the Millennium Development Goal of reducing under-five mortality by two-thirds between 1990 and 2015. Effective strategies to monitor child mortality are needed where accurate vital registration data are lacking to help governments assess and report on progress in child survival. We present result...

BACKGROUND Considerable improvements in life expectancy and other human development indicators in Indonesia are thought to mask considerable disparities between populations in the country. We examine the existence and extent of these disparities by measuring trends and inequalities in the under-five mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate across wealth, education and geography. METHODOLOGY...

OBJECTIVE To analyse trends in under-five mortality rate in South Africa (1990-2011), particularly the contribution of AIDS deaths. METHODS Three nationally used models for estimating AIDS deaths in children were systematically reviewed. The model outputs were compared with under-five mortality rate estimates for South Africa from two global estimation models. All estimates were compared with...

In this paper I examine the effects of social and economic development on inequalities in under-five mortality for the state of São Paulo, Brazil, over a twenty-one year period during which much of the infant and child mortality transition unfolded. I investigate whether the improvements in infant and child survival were accompanied by declining inequalities. I focus on inequality in under-five...

Despite the large numbers of displaced persons and the often-lengthy periods of displacement, little is known about the impact of forced migration on long-term under-five mortality. This paper looks at the Brass Method (and adaptations of this method) and the Preceding Birth Technique in combination with a classification of women by their migration and reproductive histories, in order to study ...

This study examines spatial patterns in infant and under-five mortality rates in India at the levels of NSS-regions and Census-districts. We find significant spatial correlation both at the national and local level meaning that both global and local environment influences the mortality rates. We identify Assam-East as a spatial outlier. Besides, there exist several hotand cold-spots in the coun...

BACKGROUND Recent analyses have suggested an accelerated decline in child mortality in Ghana since 2000. This study examines the long-term child mortality trends in the country, relates them to changes in the key drivers of mortality decline, and assesses the feasibility of the country's MDG 4 attainment. METHODOLOGY Data from five Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) between 1988 and 2008 an...

Background. India accounts for 24% to all under-five mortality in the world. Residence in rural area, poverty and low levels of mother's education are known confounders of under-five mortality. Since two-thirds of India's population lives in rural areas, mothers employed in agriculture present a particularly vulnerable population in the Indian context and it is imperative that concerns of this ...