High infant and child mortality rates in Orissa: An assessment of major reasons

Infant and child mortality rates in Orissa are the highest among the Indian states. This is surprising, given other demographic indicators, such as the relatively rapid fertility decline and the quite high levels of antenatal care coverage in this state compared with other comparatively poor states. In this article, the macro- and micro-level determinants of high infant and child mortality are assessed using multivariate logistic regression analyses. The results demonstrate that the major contributors to the high infant and child mortality rates are the extremely low levels of health sector investments and the associated quality of care. Copyright (C) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.