New Methods to Reveal Adult Mortality Inequities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
Angela Chang, associate professor at the Department of Health Services Research, has received a Sapere Aude grant to enhance the measurement of adult mortality inequality in the world's poorer countries.
With a Sapere Aude - DFF Research Leader grant, Angela Chang will carry out her ambitious project, "HARMONIA: Harmonised Approach to Measuring Adult Mortality Inequality in Low- and Middle-Income Countries."
The aim of the project is to provide a deeper understanding of how mortality disparities among adults arise and evolve between the rich and poor in these countries.
The need to understand mortality inequalities among adults
Approximately 80% of the world's adult population lives in low- and middle-income countries, yet we have limited knowledge about how mortality varies among socioeconomic groups in these regions.
- Health inequality pose significant challenges to both social and economic stability in low- and middle-income countries. By estimating the level of mortality inequality, we can improve health policies and target efforts to reduce these inequalities, says Angela Chang.
Project objectives and methods
In "HARMONIA," Angela Chang will use three innovative methods to obtain a comprehensive picture of mortality inequalities.
She will combine methods from demography, epidemiology, and economics to create a harmonised and accurate depiction of the situation.
- By using multiple methods, we can achieve a deeper understanding of adult mortality inequality. Each method sheds light on different aspects, and when we compare them, we can get a more precise and nuanced picture, explains Angela Chang.
The research project focuses on illustrating how mortality varies among different socioeconomic groups in low- and middle-income countries. By identifying the factors driving these mortality disparities, the project can guide health systems in their efforts to reduce inequities.
Angela Chang describes the practical implications of the project:
- By understanding how mortality varies among different groups, we can develop more targeted health interventions. This will enable health systems to prioritise resources more effectively and address the fundamental causes of mortality inequities.
Importance for global health
The project will provide essential data that can improve health policies and practices in low- and middle-income countries. Angela Chang hopes that the project's results will lead to better monitoring of mortality inequities (such as in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) and a fairer distribution of health resources globally.
- By uncovering how mortality inequities vary among different socioeconomic groups, we can contribute to creating more precise and targeted health interventions.
- With the new data, we will be able to improve the monitoring of adult mortality inequities and ensure that health resources are distributed more fairly. This is a crucial step in reducing within-country inequalities, says Angela Chang.
Meet the researcher
Angela Chang is associate professor at the Department of Health Services Research
Fact Box: Mortality Inequality
Mortality inequality refers to the difference in death rates between groups in society, often based on socioeconomic factors such as income and education.
The mortality inequality among adults in low- and middle-income countries may have very different patterns from the high-income countries due to different disease burdens.