Estimation of Life Expectancy from Infant Mortality Rate at Districts Level

Ranjana Kesarwani, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)

Monitoring the districts life expectancies is important for health policies and planning but it is difficult to get direct estimates because of inaccessibility of age specific death rates at district level. Thus, present study meets the challenges for small area level life expectancy estimation. Here, I focused on generation of mortality model for estimation of life expectancy at all ages at district level. For model generation, study exploited age specific death rate data from Sample Registration System, India for period 1971-2010. It has been found that linear regression model is best fit method. Study used input as IMR only because at district level only information on Infant and Child mortality is accessible. Study observed significant variation in life expectancy across gender and district. Hence, results clearly affirm that united approach of health interventions and policies will not work properly and will not help in reducing mortality differentials. So, study recommends for health policies at small area level.