The Drivers of Child Mortality During the 2012\u20132016 Drought in La Guajira, Colombia

Diana Contreras,Srirama Bhamidipati,Alex Voets,Jana Junghardt,Sandra Contreras

doi:10.1007/s13753-020-00255-0

Abstract

During the 2012–2016 drought in La Guajira, Colombia, child mortality rates rose to 23.4 out of 1000. Most of these children belonged to the Wayuu indigenous community, the largest and one of the most vulnerable in Colombia. At the municipal level, this study found a significant positive correlation between the average child mortality rate and households with a monthly income of less than USD 100, the number of people without access to health insurance, being part of the indigenous population, being illiterate, lacking sewage systems, living in rural areas, and large households with members younger than 5 years old and older than 65 years old. No correlation was found with households without access to a water source. The stepwise regression analysis showed that households with a monthly income of less than USD 100, no members older than 65 years old, but several children younger than 5 years old, account for 90.4% of the child mortality rate. This study concludes that, if inhabitants had had better incomes or assets, as well as an adequate infrastructure, they could have faced the drought without the observed increase in child mortality.

Highlights

Poor people in Latin American countries such as Colombia, Guyana, and Honduras are overexposed to droughts and high temperatures
This study found a significant positive correlation between the average child mortality rate and households with a monthly income of less than USD 100, the number of people without access to health insurance, being part of the indigenous population, being illiterate, lacking sewage systems, living in rural areas, and large households with members younger than 5 years old and older than 65 years old
The result of the socioeconomic vulnerability assessment shows the highest level of vulnerability in the north and middle of the department, while the lowest levels of vulnerability are observed in the south (Fig. 5)

Summary

Introduction

Poor people in Latin American countries such as Colombia, Guyana, and Honduras are overexposed to droughts and high temperatures. Between 2012 and 2016, a long drought took place in La Guajira, Colombia due to El Nino phenomenon. Colombia is divided into 32 departments, one of which is La Guajira in the far northeast, between the Caribbean Sea and Venezuela. The department with a total area of 20,848 km is divided into 15 municipalities (Fig. 1), with Riohacha on the coast as the capital. The high Guajira is a semidesert area, where the vegetation is scarce. Areas with the best conditions for agriculture are in the low Contreras et al Child Mortality in La Guajira, Colombia

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Discussion

Conclusion