Effect of Wealth Inequality on Child and Infant Mortality in Togo

Abstract

At birth, individual has a health capital that depends on family, environmental and personal characteristics which depreciates over time requiring investment. It’s in this sense that this article aims to analyze the effect of wealth inequality on infant and child mortality in Togo. This effect is accessed by a semi-parametric proportional hazard duration model of Cox. According to the model estimation which is based on data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) carried out in Togo in 2017, the results obtained shows in one hand that high wealth inequality contributes to increasing the risk of mortality of children under five. In other hand, the results show that the possession of a source of drinking water, the possession of health insurance by the mother, the mastery of the use of new information technologies and communication reduce the risk of infant and child mortality. In view of these results, policies to reduce wealth inequalities could help reduce the risk of infant and child mortality in proportions ranging from 0.075 to 0.264. JEL classification: I14, D63, C14