Implication of Distance to Health-Care Facility on Child Survival: Evidence from Nigeria

Health-care facilities are unevenly distributed in Nigeria while under-five mortality rate stood at 157 per 1000 live births in the country. Considering the importance of adequate health care on improved child health outcomes, this study examines the implication of difficult access to health-care facilities on childhood mortality in Nigeria. The study utilizes 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. Cox proportional regression analysis was performed on a nationally representative sample of 28,647 children. Findings indicate that risk of death was about 10% significantly lower for children whose mothers had no problem accessing a health facility compared to those whose mothers had problem accessing a health facility (Hazard ratio – HR:0.92, 95%CI: 0.86-0.99,p<0.05). This result was consistent even after adjusting for the effects of other important covariates. The findings of this study stressed the need for easy accessibility to health-care facilities if Nigeria’s quest for attainment of Millennium Development Goal 4 will be a reality.