Abstract

BRAVO-GARCIA, Enrique. Social Inequality, Poverty, and Infant Mortality in Mexico 2010-2020. Rev. Fac. Med. (Méx.) [online]. 2024, vol.67, n.5, pp.52-63.  Epub Nov 22, 2024. ISSN 2448-4865.  https://doi.org/10.22201/fm.24484865e.2024.67.5.07.

Mexico faces deep inequalities: the richest 10% concentrate 57.4% of the country's income and 78.7% of its wealth, while the poorest 50% have access to barely 9.2% of the income and lack significant wealth. Social inequality and poverty are closely linked. While inequality is not the only cause of poverty, it plays a significant role in perpetuating it. Addressing social inequality is essential to effectively combat poverty and build more equitable and fair societies.

The infant mortality rate IMR is a key indicator, strongly influenced by structural factors such as poverty, which reflects avoidable, unnecessary and premature deaths, which can be prevented through individual and collective actions. The relationship between poverty and child health is well recognized, as poverty is associated with the worst outcomes in child health, particularly in infant mortality.

In 2020, the distribution of infant mortality among the Mexican states was remarkably heterogeneous, with rates ranging from 6.1 to 20.5 deaths per 1,000 births. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the IMR and the percentage of people living in extreme poverty r = 0.550, educational gap r = 0.530, lack of access to health services r = 0.547; and people with 3 or more social deficiencies r = 0.520 was high and statistically significant; but the IMR is also moderately associated with poverty r = 0.494 and lack of social security r = 0.494. The nine entities with high or very high rates of infant mortality and extreme poverty were Chiapas, Guerrero, Mexico, Michoacán, Puebla, Oaxaca, Tabasco, Tlaxcala, and Yucatán.

Although Mexico has managed to reduce its infant mortality rate, it is still much higher than the average for Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OECD countries. To further reducing this rate, it is necessary to address poverty reduction, expand access to essential health services, improve prenatal and postnatal care, and strengthen preventive services, such as vaccination. A special program involving all health institutions and with adequate resources is required. It is crucial to prioritize actions in the nine most affected Mexican states. It is unacceptable that, in 2020, infant mortality in Oaxaca was more than three times higher than Nayarit.

Keywords : Epidemiology; infant mortality; social inequality; poverty; Mexico.

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