The Decoupling of Status and Progress: A Comparative Statistical Analysis of Maternal Mortality in West and East Africa. This was my final project in Programming for Data Analytics. The project sought to compare statistically the Maternal Mortality situation in both West and East Africa.
# The Decoupling of Status and Progress: A Comparative Statistical Analysis of Maternal Mortality in West and East Africa
## Project Overview
This research project conducts a rigorous comparative statistical analysis of maternal mortality rates (MMR) between West African and East African countries over the period 2005-2015. The study investigates whether significant differences exist in maternal health outcomes between these two African regions and explores the implications for public health policy and intervention strategies.
**Research Question:** Is there a statistically significant difference in Maternal Mortality Ratios between West African and East African states from 2005 to 2015?
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## Table of Contents
1. Executive Summary
2. Dataset and Methodology
3. Data Processing and Quality
4. Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
5. Statistical Analysis
6. Key Findings
7. Visualizations
8. Interpretation and Discussion
9. Limitations
10. Project Structure
11. How to Run
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## Executive Summary
### Primary Findings
✓ **Statistically Significant Difference Detected:** West African countries exhibit significantly higher maternal mortality rates compared to East African countries during the 2005-2015 period.
**Key Statistics:**
- **West Africa Mean MMR:** 615.28 deaths per 100,000 live births
- **East Africa Mean MMR:** 457.86 deaths per 100,000 live births
- **Mean Difference:** 157.42 deaths per 100,000 (West Africa higher)
- **T-Statistic (Welch's):** Significant difference identified
- **P-value:** < 0.05 (statistically significant)
- **Effect Size (Cohen's d):** Medium to large practical significance
### Conclusion
The analysis provides strong statistical evidence that West African countries face substantially higher maternal mortality burdens than their East African counterparts. This difference is not only statistically significant but also clinically meaningful in terms of public health impact, suggesting systemi …