Improving Childhood Immunization through Maternal Support: Evidence from a Randomized Intervention in Pakistan

Adeline Delavande, Areeba Shahab, Javed Younas and Basit Zafar

No 33559, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We evaluate the effectiveness of randomized interventions aimed at alleviating psychological barriers (maternal stress and difficulty visualizing the future) and addressing information frictions on early childhood immunization uptake in a sample of 2,145 mothers of infants in Pakistan. A phone-delivered intervention providing psychological support and visualization techniques to mothers increases the total number of vaccines received by young children by 0.3, or 7% of the control mean, one year after baseline. The impacts are larger for lower-income households. We also find that the intervention improves maternal knowledge, attitudes, and perceived returns to vaccination, highlighting the role of psychological support in shaping health behaviors. However, supplementing this intervention with vaccination-related information from influencers does not yield additional benefits.

JEL-codes: I1 J10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025-03
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp, nep-hea and nep-nud
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Published as Adeline Delavande & Areeba Shahab & Javed Younas & Basit Zafar, 2026. "Improving childhood immunization through maternal support: Evidence from a randomized intervention in Pakistan," Journal of Development Economics, vol 182.

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