Use of a deep learning and random forest approach to track changes in the predictive nature of socioeconomic drivers of under-5 mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The study reveals that children under the age of 5 in sub-Saharan Africa have favourable survival outcomes associated with the four socioeconomic factors over time. It also shows that deep survival neural network models are efficient in predicting U5MR and should, therefore, be used in the big data era to draft evidence-based policies to achieve the third sustainable development goal.