Reducing ethnic disparities in child health and nutrition is a global priority, but there is a lack of comprehensive analysis on progress made by different countries.

We analyzed data from 59 DHS and MICS surveys conducted in low and middle-income countries to identify countries that have successfully reduced ethnic gaps in child health and nutrition. We used three key outcome indicators: under-five mortality, child stunting prevalence, and a composite index based on coverage with eight maternal and child health interventions. We calculated absolute and relative inequality measures, including the mean difference from the overall national mean, mean ratio relative to the overall mean, and the difference and ratio between the best- and worst-performing ethnic groups.

Overall, we found that while absolute inequalities slightly declined for the three outcomes, relative inequality declined for stunting and the composite index but increased for mortality. Togo and Uganda made consistent progress in reducing ethnic disparities, while Nigeria, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Sao Tome and Principe, and Burkina Faso were among the worst performers.

You can access the full paper at: International Journal for Equity in Health