The second half of the twentieth century bore witness to
significant declines in mortality among children in the
developing world. Ghana was no exception, experiencing declines
in mortality from the 1950s Onward. A series of Demographic and
Health Surveys conducted in Ghana documented substantial
improvements in infant and childhood mortality rates between
1988 and 1998. The results of the 2003 survey, however,
indicated that these rates had plateaued (stagnated) at high
levels. There was some concern that mortality might even be on
the rise. The purpose of this analysis is to determine whether
the stagnation in the decline in childhood mortality in Ghana is
real, to describe and evaluate trends in mortality, and to
examine the key factors likely to influence mortality levels.
This analysis suggests that the apparent uptick in mortality
seen in the 2003 GDHS is largely a function of the
underestimation of mortality in the previous survey. Thus, while
there is no evidence to conclude that child mortality in Gh