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Abstract
This paper provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of three child health outcomes
related to the Millennium Development Goals: the infant mortality rate, the child mortality rate,
and the prevalence of malnutrition. Using data from Demographic and Health Surveys, the paper
goes beyond traditional cross-country regressions by exploiting the variability in outcomes and
explanatory variables observed within countries between asset quintiles. The paper shows the
relationships existing between the prevalence of diseases (diarrhea and malnutrition) and
mortality. The findings suggest that apart from traditional variables (income, assets, education
and direct health interventions), better access to basic infrastructure services has an important role
to play in improving child health outcomes. The analysis of interaction effects between
interventions also suggests the importance of combining interventions in order to meet the
Millenium Development Goals.
JEL categories: I12, O10, H42
Keywords: Millennium Development Goals, Infant mortality, Malnutrition, Infrastructure
World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 3163, November 2003
The Policy Research Working Paper Series disseminates the findings of work in progress to encourage the
exchange of ideas about development issues. An objective of the series is to get the findings out quickly,
even if the presentations are less than fully polished. The papers carry the names of the authors and should
be cited accordingly. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this paper are entirely
those of the authors. They do not necessarily represent the view of the World Bank, its Executive Directors,
or the countries they represent. Policy Research Working Papers are available online at
http://econ.worldbank.org
Corresponding author:
Marianne Fay
World Bank, 1818 H Street
Washington, DC 20433
Email: mfay@worldbank.org
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