It is frequently been suggested that the infant mortality rate (IMR) is a reliable indicator of a country's civilization
and focus on the welfare of its citizens. Although global infant mortality rates have shown steady improvement over the past century, many
developing countries continue to
experience inordinately high rates compared to the world levels; surprisingly, though, even the United States, which claims to have one of the best health care systems in the world, continues to experience relatively high infant mortality rates, higher even than many developing nations. This paper provides an overview of the problem, followed by an examination of the infant mortality rates in the Republic of Ghana and the United States. A summary of the research is provided in the conclusion.