Estimating child mortality using advanced statistical methods
Official title: Bayesian Mortality Estimation from Disparate Data Sources
Funded at University of Washington · NIH-11112444 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is working on a new way to estimate how many young children are dying, especially in places where official records are missing, and it aims to help researchers in low-resource countries understand child mortality better, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Washington NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $311,159 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD112421-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11112444 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children under five years old living in regions with limited access to vital registration data.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older than five years or those living in areas with robust vital registration systems may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to create a Bayesian statistical framework to estimate mortality rates, particularly focusing on children under five years old, using various data sources where vital registration data is unavailable. The project will develop methods that can be efficiently implemented, especially in low- and middle-income countries with limited computing resources. It will also address excess mortality during the Covid-19 pandemic and provide yearly estimates of child mortality rates at local levels. The results will be disseminated widely, along with software and training for researchers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more accurate mortality estimates, improving health decision-making and resource allocation for child health interventions.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in using Bayesian methods for statistical estimation, indicating a promising approach for this project.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Washington
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wakefield, Jonathan C — University of Washington
- Study coordinator: Wakefield, Jonathan C
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.