Political factors, household income, under five survival, and life expectancy in the Sahel region

Abstract

In recent decades, the Sahel region has experienced ongoing health crises, including high fertility rates, declining life expectancy, and low under-five survival rates. As such, this study investigates the impact of political factors and household income on under-five survival and life expectancy in the Sahel region, using secondary data from seven countries in the area. The data for the study was extracted from the World Development Indicators, and a panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag model was applied for analysis. The findings reveal that individuals in the Sahel region have a life expectancy of approximately 57 years, with an alarming rate of approximately 102 children per 1,000 births not surviving beyond age five. Political factors significantly contribute to reduction of under-five survival and life expectancy in the region, as does household income. Therefore, addressing government effectiveness, political stability, and household income is crucial to improving health outcomes in the Sahel countries, ultimately enhancing under-five survival rates and life expectancy across the region.