Child mortality differentials in Ghana: a preliminary report

The relationship is examined of child mortality in Ghana with six socioeconomic factors: mother's type of place of residence, education, occupation and work status, and current husband's education and occupation. Using data from the 1979-80 Ghana Fertility Survey, Trussell's marriage duration model was employed to estimate probabilities of dying at exact ages 2 and 5 in different population subgroups. The two education variables (mother's and husband's education) have the largest effect on child mortality, followed by husband's occupation and mother's occupation, in that order. In order to reduce child mortality to tolerable levels, expansion is urgently required of the medical and health services, balanced by an equal development of education, particularly of girls, help being given especially to the rural areas where the majority of the population live.