Gender inequity and age-appropriate immunization coverage in India from 1992 to 2006

• DOI: 10.1186/1472-698x-9-s1-s3
• Publication Date: 2009-10-14T18:18:30Z
• Authors: Daniel J Corsi; Diego G Bassani; Rajesh Kumar; Shally Awasthi; Raju Jotkar; Navkiran Kaur; Prabhat Jha
• Keywords: GENDER DISCRIMINATION; GENDER EQUALITY; 330; Research; SEX PREFERENCE; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; 610; IMMUNIZATION; CHILD HEALTH; 3. Good health; SOUTH ASIA; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; 5. Gender equality; GIRLS; INDIA; 10. No inequality; SEX DIFFERENTIALS; WOMEN’S HEALTH

A variety of studies have considered the affects India's son preference on gender differences in child mortality, sex ratio at birth, and access to health services. Less research has focused inequities immunization coverage how this may varied with time, across regions sibling compositions. We present a systematic examination trends India, focus by gender, birth order, year state. analyzed data from three consecutive rounds Indian National Family Health Survey undertaken between 1992 2006. All children below five years age complete histories were included analysis. Age-appropriate was determined for following antigens: bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG), oral polio (OPV), diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough) tetanus (DPT), measles. Immunization India increased since early 1990s, but complete, age-appropriate is still under 50% nationally. Girls found significantly lower (p<0.001) than boys BCG, DPT, measles all surveys. By contrast, improved OPV suggests narrowing recent years. surviving older sister less likely be immunized compared boys, large proportion considerably later recommended. Gender are prevalent India. The low coverage, late identified our study suggest that risks especially girls higher orders, need addressed both socially programmatically. See full article online translation abstract Hindi.