Abstract:
Even though the deaths of children under the age of one year remain unacceptably high in Ethiopia, infant mortality has reduced substantially over the past three decades. Currently, the infant mortality rate in Ethiopia is one of the highest globally, and, like many other low-income countries, the rate of reduction in infant mortality is far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by the end of 2030. Addressing the high rate of infant mortality in Ethiopia requires scientific evidence regarding how to best tackle its determinants. Previous studies have indicated that the individual-level determinants of infant mortality are not sufficient for addressing the problem, because infant survival can be affected by the characteristics of the household and community context in which the infant was born. Additionally, the community’s prevailing norms and attitudes about health behaviours could also influence the healthcare decisions made by individuals. In diversified communities like Ethiopia, differences in child health outcomes might not be due to variation in individual and household characteristics alone, but also due to differences in socio-economic and other contextual characteristics of the communities in which the child lives. Therefore, this study aims to identify these contextual level determinants of infant mortality in Ethiopia.