title: Decomposing Wealth-Based Inequalities in Under-Five Mortality in West Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to analysis the inequalities of mortality of children under 5 years in West Africa by examining the determinants and contributing factors to the overall inequality concentration in these countries.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data used came from the DHS surveys conducted in the six countries in West Africa: Burkina Faso (2010), Benin (2006), Cote d'Ivoire 2011), Ghana (2008), Mali (2006), Nigeria (2008) and Niger (2012). The concentration index (CI) and Generalized Linear Model (GLM) with logit link were used to access inequality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that in all countries, the poorest Q1 have the highest proportions of deaths: Nigeria (31.4%), Cote d'Ivoire (30.4%) and Ghana (36.4%), over 30% of deaths of children under 5 years are among the children of the poorest (Q1) and the absolute differences of proportions Q1-Q5 are more than 20 points (25.8 in Ghana and 23.6 in Nigeria). The contributing factors of inequalities of child mortality were birth order, maternal age, parity and household size. Our findings also showed that the intensity of inequality varies from one country to another.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most important conclusion of this study is to reduce mortality in children under 5 years, it is needed to reduce economic and social inequalities and improve the country's economic and social condition. There is a need for monitoring and assessment inequalities by leading causes of death and morbidity among children in the region in order to advance in understanding the gaps and finding a way to reduce them in West Africa countries.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Statistics and Population Studies, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Aristide Romaric
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bado
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Statistics and Population Studies, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sathiya Susuman
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Appunni
keywords: Child mortality; Concentration index Infant mortality; Family planning; Under five mortality