A wealth index to screen high-risk families: application to Morocco

This study defined a wealth index that was strongly correlated with a health indicator: the survival of children aged less than five years. This index allowed the most vulnerable social groups for health outcomes to be identified. These groups could become the target for focused interventions and in particular for health-insurance schemes. The study was based on a thorough analysis of data collected in Morocco in the 1992 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). Results of the analysis showed that a simple score based on 15 socioeconomic indicators provided a proper discriminatory tool for screening families at higher risk of infant and child mortality. The score was based on characteristics of housing and household goods which are easy to collect in the field. The scoring system was shown to be as powerful as more complex statistical techniques, such as discriminant analysis. It could be used for determining who could be eligible for free health insurance.