Territorial Differences in Infant Mortality in Latvia in the First Decade of the Third Millennium

Objective: Infant and child mortality are some of the most substantial indicators of country welfare. Infant mortality (IM) in Latvia is constantly the highest among 25 Member States of the European Union. Since the regaining of independence in 1991, IM has decreased by almost 50%, however, it is still high enough to cause concern that the country will not be able to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals to decrease IM in Latvia by 2015. The Medical Faculty at the University of Latvia has conducted several studies identifying correlations between IM and GDP, total expenditure on health, unemployment and GINI coefficient. It is necessary to identify all IM causes and relationships which h…