Determinants of Under-Five Mortality in Southern Asia

Abstract

Under-five mortality is one of the important indicators for measuring the overall child health status of a country or region. One of the sub-goals of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-2015) is reduction of under-five mortality rate to at least as low as 25 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2030. The present study aims at investigating the determinants of under-five mortality in Southern Asia. The results of the GLS Random Effects regression found adolescent fertility rate, measles immunization, basic drinking water services, prevalence of anemia among children and current health expenditure to be significant determinants of under-five mortality.