Gender Disparities in Mortality Rates and Environmental Hazards across Selected Sub-Saharan Africa Countries

Abstract:   Enhancing female health stands as a paramount global public health concerns, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing female mortality. Among these factors, environmental hazards have gained significant attention, emerging as pressing issue for numerous nations. Despite the extensive literature on this subject, empirical evidence linking female mortality to environmental hazards remains scarce. Therefore, this study aims to fill this gap by examining the association between female mortality and environmental hazards in selected Sub-Saharan Africa countries. Leveraging secondary data from the World Bank for the year 2023, a recursive model was constructed. The functional equation incorporates variables such as cooking fuels, energy use, water shortage and air pollution as significant environmental risks exacerbating female mortality. The findings underscore the detrimental impact of environmental hazards on female health, highlighting the urgent need for policy interventions. Consequence, the study advocates for concentrated efforts to mitigate environmental risks and proposes actionable strategies to address female health vulnerabilities.