Trends and Levels of Infant Mortality in Lesotho

Khauhelo Mota, Wits University

The high rates of infant mortality are some of the greatest concerns for demographers and policy makers in the developing world. In the developing countries like Lesotho, infant mortality continues to be noticeably high due to socio-economic and demographic factors. The study aims at examining trends and levels of infant mortality, their socio-economic and demographic differentials mainly based on data from the 2004, 2009 and 2014 Lesotho Demographic and Health Survey. The overall increase in infant mortality is due to various socio-economic factors which indicate that there is a relationship between infant mortality and place of residence, mother’s education, wealth quintile and ecological zones. In order to reduce infant mortality, factors such as mother’s education should be improved with the help of the government by setting up more campaigns to educate women more about child health and also strengthening the medical care systems.