Some Determinants of Infant Mortality Rate in SAARC Countries: an Empirical Assessment through Panel Data Analysis

The present study is an attempt to examine the distal determinants of Infant Mortality Rate in South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations over the period of 2000-2016. Instead of looking at individual nation model, the study tries to develop a regional model to examine the determinants of infant mortality. Infant mortality is modelled as a function of public health expenditure, educational status of women, access to proper sanitation, GDP per capita and urbanisation. To attain this objective, we have applied Pedroni's cointegration test. Subsequently, to estimate the long run relationship we have utilized the Fully Modified Ordinary Least Square (FMOLS) and Dynamic Ordinary Least Square (DOLS) methods. The results of the Pedroni's cointegration test have shown the long run relationship among the selected variables. Similarly, FMOLS and DOLS test results have indicated that health expenditure, GDP per capita, educational status of women and sanitation facilities have a significant impact on Infant Mortality Rate of SAARC nations. The results of this study led to the conclusion that Health Expenditure is one of the significant contributors in decreasing the Infant Mortality Rate. Moreover, the results of our study shed light on determinants such as GDP Per Capita, Female Education, Urbanisation and Sanitation which have some clear policy implications for reducing Infant Mortality Rate in SAARC nations.