Maternal and Child Mortality Indicators across 187 countries in the World: Converging or Diverging

Recent literature on maternal and child mortality foster that world is observing a spectacular progress towards achieving MDGs 4 and 5; however, such progress is resulting into convergence/divergence across the worldwide countries is yet to answer? This study re-assessed the progress of 187 countries worldwide in terms of MDGs 4 and 5 by nuanced econometric models to identify discrepancies in such progress. The results of both parametric and non parametric convergence measures suggest that the absolute convergence in progress of MMR across the world countries is evident only in the recent period, 2000-2008. Progress in all child mortality indicators are divergent and such divergence is increasing for the recent periods. This study suggest that there is no doubt in the fact that there is a considerable progress in both maternal and child mortality indicators. However, a mere progress does not warranty the convergence in progress across 187 countries.