Inequality in Infant Mortality in Portugal, 1971–1991

• DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4615-5681-7_4
• Publication Date: 2011-09-18T00:55:53Z
• Authors: João A. Pereira
• Keywords: Social Inequality

Measurement of inequality in health is at its most useful when the prevailing time-trend can be established. Single year estimates can signal the need for policy intervention (by virtue of the degree of inequality being judged undesirable); but they provide no way of knowing whether past or present measures are in any way successful. In contrast, a time series of inequality measures can inform the policymaker if the country is moving in the desired direction, or not. It may also suggest the type of health and social phenomena that underly changes in the distribution, thereby indicating possible corrective measures.