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Cash‐based maternal health interventions can improve childhood vaccination—Evidence from India

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  • Prabal K. De
  • Laxman Timilsina

Abstract

Childhood vaccination has lagged in countries like India, despite its demonstrated positive effects on health outcomes like infant mortality. At the same time, many conditional cash transfer programs have been effective in improving health outcomes. We estimate the effect of the world's largest maternal health program, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY, maternal protection scheme), on childhood vaccination in India. We exploit exogenous variations in the expansion of the policy around the country and the fact that some key vaccines are given at or near birth to identify the effects of cash‐based maternal health policy on infant immunization. We find that JSY increased the probability of Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) and diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus toxoid (DPT) vaccination among newborns and infants. However, we find almost no significant effects on the measles vaccine, which is administered several months after birth.

Suggested Citation

  • Prabal K. De & Laxman Timilsina, 2020. "Cash‐based maternal health interventions can improve childhood vaccination—Evidence from India," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(10), pages 1202-1219, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:hlthec:v:29:y:2020:i:10:p:1202-1219
    DOI: 10.1002/hec.4129
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    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Chris Sampson’s journal round-up for 12th October 2020
      by Chris Sampson in The Academic Health Economists' Blog on 2020-10-12 11:00:03

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    Cited by:

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    3. Titir Bhattacharya & Tanika Chakraborty & Prabal De, 2025. "Public Insurance and Demand for Private Healthcare," CESifo Working Paper Series 12370, CESifo.
    4. Paula von Haaren & Stefan Klonner, 2021. "Lessons learned? Intended and unintended effects of India's second‐generation maternal cash transfer scheme," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(10), pages 2468-2486, September.
    5. Kekre, Aishwarya & Mahajan, Kanika, 2023. "Maternity support and child health: Unintended gendered effects," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 51(3), pages 880-898.
    6. Manda Tiwari, 2023. "Financial incentives and delivery care: Evidence from the Safe Delivery Incentive Program in Nepal," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(10), pages 2372-2389, October.
    7. Anil, Deepthi Sara & Sahoo, Soham & Pakrashi, Debayan, 2025. "Do educated politicians facilitate better public health? Evidence from India," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 366(C).
    8. Mayanka Ambade & Nidhiya Menon & S. V. Subramanian, 2024. "The impact of early-life access to oral polio vaccines on disability: evidence from India," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-25, March.
    9. Ege Aksu & Prabal K. De & Laxman Timilsina, 2024. "New evidence on the health and employment effects of non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 interventions on workers in the United States," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(6), pages 2771-2819, December.
    10. Nicolò Bird & Isabela Franciscon & Yannick Markhof & Pedro Arruda & Krista Alvarenga, 2021. "Social assistance programmes in South Asia: an evaluation of socio-economic impacts," One Pager 494, International Policy Centre.
    11. Aishwarya Kekre & Kanika Mahajan, 2022. "Maternity Support, Child Health and Unintended Gendered Effects," Working Papers 84, Ashoka University, Department of Economics.
    12. Somdeep Chatterjee & Prashant Poddar, 2021. "From Safe Motherhood to Cognitive Ability: Exploring Intrahousehold and Intergenerational Spillovers," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 88(352), pages 1075-1106, October.

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