Air Quality and Under-five Mortality Rates in the Low-income Countries

Abstract: This study investigates the effects of air quality, measured by PM₁₀ pollution, on mortality among children aged five years and less in the low-income category of countries. The empirical results obtained from three different estimation procedures consistently reveal that PM₁₀ pollution is positively and statistically significantly correlated with deaths among children aged five years and less due to acute lower respiratory infections. The empirical findings also provide strong evidence that, other than PM₁₀ pollution, health care spending, nutrition and immunisation against diphtheria are other significant determinants of mortality among children aged five years and less.