Temporal Analysis of Under 5 Mortality Rate at Sub-National Level in India

Under 5 Mortality Rate at Sub-National Level

Abstract

Background-Mortality is an essential indicator for constructing health policy and evaluating health systems. Death at an early age, specifically between 0 to 5 years, is a significant public health problem. Reducing infant and under-five deaths has been a prime concern across the developing nations but has tasted sporadic success. Thus, it becomes imperative to estimate these mortality rates to develop effective strategies and take appropriate actions to reduce the death numbers. Objectives- Examining growth rates of U5MR at sub national level and identifying the top 5 and bottom 5 performers in rural and urban India at the sub-national level. Methodology- Twenty Indian states for which the comparable data was available in public domain were included in the study. These states have been classified into four regions, i.e., the northern, southern, eastern, and western & central. The study examined Under-five Mortality Rates (U5MR) growth rates at the sub-national level. The top five and bottom five performers in rural and urban areas of twenty Indian states have also been identified using a semi-linear regression model. Results- The Eastern (53 ± 8.08) and Western & Central regions (53 ± 6.08) have higher mean values of mortality rates. Kerala reported the lowest mean mortality value for both rural (13 ± 0.83) and urban population (11 ± 1.05). The study documents Delhi (-13.32%) as the best performing state amongst the rural areas and Himachal Pradesh (-10.68%) among the Urban areas with respect to U5MR compound growth rates. Conclusion- Overall, the study shows that the twenty states included in the study have witnessed a reduction in U5MR growth rates. Results of the study can be utilized for a targeted approach by the respective state governments to monitor the U5MR in the selected Indian states to achieve the long-term targets of Sustainable Development Goals.