Overview
This project explores historical and recent trends in under-five child mortality across Sub-Saharan African countries, using data from UNICEF’s Data Warehouse and World Bank indicators. It applies data wrangling and visualization techniques in R to reveal disparities, assess progress toward SDG 3.2, and suggest interventions.
Objectives
- Import and clean UNICEF child mortality datasets using
readr,tidyr, anddplyr - Harmonize U5MR, IMR, and neonatal mortality indicators
- Segment analysis by region, country, and income group
- Track trends from 2000 onward
- Visualize disparities with
ggplot2 - Generate insights for development strategy
Data Sources
| Source | Description |
|---|---|
| UNICEF Data Warehouse | Official child mortality data |
| World Bank | GDP, health access, fertility overlays |
| UN Region Codes | Country mapping to Sub-Saharan Africa |
Key Variables: Country, Year, U5MR, IMR, Neonatal_Mortality, Births, Deaths, Region
Methods & Tools
- Data Cleaning: Used
read_csv(),clean_names(), filtered for SSA countries, and removed NA values - Wrangling: Grouped by country/year, added rate reductions, merged GDP overlays
- Visualization: Plotted time series, rankings, and heatmaps using
ggplot2
Key Findings
- U5MR declined from 145/1,000 (2000) to 72/1,000 (2022) in SSA
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria: Highest burden, modest decline
- 🇪🇹 Ethiopia: >60% drop due to immunization and access
- Conflict zones like South Sudan stagnated
- High fertility + low GDP correlate with poor child survival
Tools Used
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| R | Statistical computing |
| dplyr | Data transformation |
| tidyr | Reshaping data |
| ggplot2 | Visualization |
| readr | CSV reading |
| lubridate | Date handling |
| scales | Axis formatting |
Applications
- Public health planning in SSA
- SDG 3.2 monitoring
- Strategic maternal/child health investment
- Academic research and education
Interactive Visualizations
Shows the ten Sub-Saharan African countries with the highest fertility rates in 2021, highlighting population growth pressures.
View in new tabRanks the top 10 Sub-Saharan African countries by GDP per capita in 2021, providing economic context for mortality patterns.
View in new tabGeospatial distribution of under-five mortality rates across SSA, expressed per 1,000 live births.
View in new tabPlots neonatal mortality rates against fertility rates to reveal demographic and health service relationships.
View in new tabExamines correlation between under-five mortality rates and GDP per capita in 2023, emphasizing economic-health links.
View in new tabTime-series trend of under-five mortality rates from 2000–2025, showing progress toward SDG 3.2 targets.
View in new tabHeatmap showing spatial and temporal variations in under-five, infant, and neonatal mortality rates across SSA.
View in new tabComprehensive dataset containing 41,832 entries with mortality metrics and related indicators for SSA countries.
View in new tabDownload CSV Files
You can download all UNICEF CSV files in a zipped folder here:
Download ZIP