National data on coverage levels often hide important disparities among population subgroups. Inequities in health have several dimensions, including socioeconomic position, gender, place of residence, and ethnic group.  Mothers and children belonging to disadvantaged groups are less likely to receive essential preventive and curative interventions, and as a result show higher morbidity and mortality. 

Improving equity is essential for achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  Countdown therefore aims not only to promote increased coverage levels for the population as a whole, but also to ensure that disadvantaged groups do not lag behind.

Countdown’s Equity Working Group carries out analyses of survey results from the priority Countdown countries, and provides breakdowns of key reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health indicators according to the different dimensions of equity. Countdown equity analyses include systematic breakdowns of key coverage indicators by wealth quintiles, maternal education, sex of the child, urban/rural residence, and region of the country.

The Equity Working Group’s research is presented in detail in equity profiles prepared for individual Countdown countries and is summarized in the Countdown Reports. Equity profiles for individual countries, are available in http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/reports-and-articles/equity.

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