Abstract

In the world, in 2010, 5,4 million infants died before their first birthday. Among the under-five child deaths, 70% are in the first year of life. Infant mortality; is a resultant of factors considering the individual, mother, household, community and environment. Diminishing child deaths at 2015 to a level that is one third the level in 1990 is a Millennium Development Goal. The indicators declared for the achievement of this goal are; under-five mortality, infant mortality and percentage of children immunized for measles.Despite the intensive international attention, although there is a serious decrease in infant and child mortality rates, the inequalities between countries are sustained with an increasing trend and the rates are far behind the 2015 aims. This deep difference between developed and developing countries is more intense for various socio-economic groups and thus, socio-economic status becomes an important determinant of infant deaths. In Turkey, when the infant mortality is evaluated, it is determined that, education and regional inequalities are sustained with a deepening trend and inequalities between urban and rural remain the same. For the efforts to eliminate these inequalities in infant mortality and to achieve a level similar to the countries of our region, the necessity for economic and social policies is absolute. The deepening of inequalities makes it necessary to reevaluate the health services for the mother and the child and the means of financing it, considering infant health issue. It is vital to adopt a perspective that intensifies proportionate to the level of disadvantage.