查看文章

Common infectious diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, are the leading causes of mortality in young children aged below 5 years, especially in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, India is the country with the largest number of children under five years old (U5) and the largest number of deaths in this age group and where diarrhoea is the second biggest killer of children. Immunisations, medical treatment and hospital care are some of the available life-saving interventions for children affected by these three common infectious diseases. Nonetheless, not all children benefit equally from these interventions. In South Asia and in India, gender-based discrimination leads to differences in health outcomes and healthcare access, especially among young children. The estimated excess mortality of young girls (compared to young boys) in India reaches an average of 239,000 excess deaths every year. However, the current body of evidence showing gender-based inequities affecting health care utilisation in the region is less compelling. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of empirical research using nationally representative data and taking into account the theoretical basis of determinants of health care seeking behaviours for children. This thesis aimed to estimate the effect of gender and other determinants on health care seeking for common infections in young children in India, especially in the case of diarrhoea. A systematic review of the literature was conducted looking at gender inequalities in hospital admissions and care seeking for common infections in children from South Asia. The results showed that for acute lower …