Origin of Socio-Economic Differentials in Health in Uzbekistan: An International Perspective

Michel Garenne, Institut Pasteur
Sophie Hohmann, Institut National d'Études Démographiques (INED)

The study investigates the magnitude of mortality differentials by wealth in Uzbekistan, and compares it with sub-Saharan Africa. Data were derived from DHS surveys. Wealth was distributed evenly in Uzbekistan, whereas the distribution was highly skewed in Africa. Despite major differences in mortality levels, the relationship between mortality indicators and wealth bore much similarity in the two situations: mortality differentials were of the same order of magnitude, with gradients ranging from 2.5 to 1 for child mortality and 1.5 to 1 for adult mortality. However, mortality levels remained lower in Uzbekistan than in Africa at the same level of wealth. On the contrary, there were no differences by wealth in use of health services and level of education in Uzbekistan, whereas wealth gradients were steep in Africa for the same variables. The study suggests that mortality differentials were primarily due to nutritional status, and not to use of health services.