Determinants of under-5 mortality in Uganda: an econometric analysis

Abstract

Infant and child mortality rates are among the most important indicators of child health, nutrition, implementation of key survival interventions, and the overall social and economic development of a population.

Economics include the study of child health and mortality for various more or less direct reasons: The health and productivity of adults is influenced by their health as children, and there may be an associated effect on the development of countries and economic growth. Children can therefore be considered economic actors in their own right and therefore of interest in economic analysis. When looking at development and developing economies, given the higher incidence of poor health in all age categories, child health and mortality would seem a relevant area of study towards a better understanding of economic and social conditions contributing to development. More generally, the health of children is a human right.

It has been well documented that poor health in childhood negatively affects future wages and labour force participation (Currie & Madrian 1998). The Millennium Development Goals were established by the United Nations in 2012 as “an international effort to reduce extreme poverty and hunger, fight disease, reduce child mortality and improve maternal health” by 2015 (UN 2014). While significant progress was made in the set timeframe, also on child health, a lot remains to be done and so the commitment was renewed under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing in particular on ending preventable deaths of newborns and children under five years of age.

An improved understanding of the determinants for child mortality reduction derived from economic analysis can guide the choice of interventions that are required to accelerate the pace of progress towards reduction of child mortality.