Confidence in medical services and immunization against tuberculosis in India

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Thesis (M.P.P.)--Georgetown University, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references.; Text (Electronic thesis) in PDF format. Despite the various international and national efforts behind reaching universal coverage of child immunization rates against tuberculosis in India, coverage rates remain between 70% and 80%. This study attempts to gain insight into the reasons behind India's tuberculosis immunization rate by analyzing whether a mother's attitude and experience with medical services is a significant factor in whether or not children receive the Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine against tuberculosis. Using the 2005 Indian Human Development Survey, a logistic regression model was used to examine the extent to which four key variables--mother's confidence in medical services, treatment from medical staff, usual wait time for medical treatment and confidence in government services--are associated with whether mothers immunized their children with the BCG vaccine. The results indicate that mothers with high confidence in medical services and mothers who have received positive treatment from medical staff are more likely to have their child vaccinated from tuberculosis. Given these results, policy implications include building trust and a positive impression of medical clinics within households by focusing on creating and developing a sustainable long-term patient-staff relationship and concentrating on improving the quality of delivered health services. Additionally, the results indicate that initiatives to improve child immunization rates against tuberculosis should be approached in conjunction with other social and economic development initiatives such as improving mother's education and her means to access information about vaccination campaigns.
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