[Inequalities in mortality, space and social strata]

A description of the mortality differentials in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, is presented.

An ecological study was carried out. The city was divided into 75 information areas and its population into six social strata. Standardized Mortality Rates, Age Specific Mortality Rates, Proportional Infant Mortality and the Proportional Mortality Ratio were calculated for each region and social strata. Data were obtained from Death Certificates and the Populational Census.

The mortality ratio difference between the strata with best living conditions and the poorer strata ranged from 43.1% to 142.0% which corresponds to an inequality ratio ranging from 1.4 to 2.4. When that analysis was carried out in smaller areas, these differences reached 656.3%.

These findings show the persistence of health inequalities in Salvador in more serious disproportion than that found in other studies. Despite the methodological problems related to the nature of the data and the study, project the authors it was highlight, the meaning of this kind of research concerned with new approaches to health planning and health promotion.