When Sterilizations Lower Immunizations: The Emergency Experience in India (1975-77)

Charlotte Pelras and Andrea Renk ()
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Charlotte Pelras: Paris School of Economics
Andrea Renk: Center for Research in the Economics of Development, University of Namur

No 2206, DeFiPP Working Papers from University of Namur, Development Finance and Public Policies

Abstract: In the 1970s in India, an aggressive family-planning program resulted in more than eight million sterilizations. We study whether this campaign affected demand for health services, specifically children's immunization and hospital births. We show that excessive sterilizations led to a substantial decrease in the use of these services, especially vaccination. If half of the sterilizations in a state were excessive (compared to none), the probabilities of receiving any vaccine and the triple antigen vaccine were respectively 17% and 34% lower for children born after the event as compared to their older siblings or older children in the same village. We find evidence suggesting the mechanism is a decline in trust rather than a change in health supply or valuation of children.

Pages: 55 pages
Date: 2022-08
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