From a policy perspective, the most useful information about child mortality is its
determinants. Hence, during the 20th and 21st centuries, researchers have increasingly
turned their attention to identifying factors associated with low child mortality in
developing countries. The identification of factors that account for variations in childhood
mortality is essential in the formulation of policies and programs that aim to reduce
child mortality. This paper analyses and compares the determinants of child mortality in
Namibia, nationally, and in the two rural regional health directorates (RHDs), namely the
Northeast and Northwest, using the 2006-07 Namibia Demographic and Health Survey. The
Cox proportional hazard model is applied to assess the relative effects of the independent
variables on child mortality. The results show that short birth intervals and widowed or
divorced mothers had the highest risk of child mortality (p < 0.001) in Namibia as a whole as
well as in the two rural RHDs. Whilst the variables of a toilet facility and mothers’ education
showed significance in both the Northeast and Northwest RHDs, their risks were lower in
the Northwest. The variation by the sex of the household head only had a distinct impact
in the Northeast RHD. These findings support policy initiatives that encourage longer
birth intervals via the strengthening of contraceptive use through broader programs of
sexual and reproductive health. The results of this study are also expected to guide policy
makers and programme managers in the health sector to formulate targeted intervention
programs to reduce child mortality in the rural regions of Namibia