Changes in Infant and Child Mortality in Shanghai in the Second Half of the 20th Century

Zhongwei Zhao, Australian National University
Xizhe Peng, Fudan University

Many less developed countries have experienced a rapid reduction in mortality in the second half of the 20th century. While WHO and many countries have invested heavily in health related areas and a significant progress has been made in many populations, the process of their health and mortality transition remains poorly understood. The paper, on the basis of our analysis of some 300,000 death certificates collected in Shanghai over the period between 1961 and 2001, and other officially published mortality data, examines changes in infant and child mortality levels, patterns, and major causes of infant and child deaths in Shanghai over the last few decades.