Population Council Research that makes a difference

XXVI IUSSP International Population Conference
27 September–2 October 2009

Abstract

Modeling spatial inequalities in health in cities of developing countries: The case of Accra, Ghana
John R. Weeks, Allan G. Hill, Arthur Getis, David Rain, Mark R. Montgomery, and Douglas A. Stow

Sustainable development requires a healthy population because only this can generate the levels of economic productivity necessary to lift an economy out of widespread poverty. We posit that variability in health within urban places, where most jobs are being created, is importantly a function of the composite characteristics of place, not just of the people themselves. In this research we model the spatial inequality in health outcomes in Accra, Ghana, by analyzing data on child mortality derived from census and survey data. We examine the spatial patterns in child mortality and then we evaluate whether that pattern can be inferred from proxy variables derived from remotely sensed imagery. These estimates will allow health inequality across Accra, as indexed by child mortality, to be decomposed into its within-neighborhood and between-neighborhood components, and will allow for identification of those neighborhoods that exhibit higher-than-expected levels of health vulnerability.

IUSSP 2009 conference Web site

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