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enGENDER IMPACT: Reducing Health Disparities


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Good health is a key aspect of wellbeing and a fundamental human right. Poor health, on the other hand, places high costs on individuals, households, firms, and governments. Poor health also keeps children out of school and adults out of work; both consequences hurt economic development.

The  highlighted how gender disadvantages arise in both sickness and death. In developing countries, the WDR2012 found that poor institutions of public health and service delivery lead to excess female mortality in early childhood and the reproductive ages. In parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, HIV/AIDS risks compound the problem. In some societies, the WDR2012 also highlighted that men have excess death rates. These trends can follow, for example, high rates of homicide, substance abuse, or healthcare avoidance behavior among men compared to women. 

Women face particular health challenges during pregnancy and childbirth. Operations on gender-specific health programming are largely driven by the World Bank¡¯s work on reproductive, maternal and child health. Beyond gender-specific interventions, a number of impact evaluations have found that safety nets and cash transfers directed to mothers can lead to lasting improvements in the health of children. Additionally, as part of the increased focus on the Science of Delivery, a group of studies is investigating how to create the right incentives for high-quality healthcare service delivery. 

Issue brief: 

Relevant outcomes: mortality (infant, maternal, gender-disaggregated); sexual, maternal, and reproductive health outcomes; nutrition; access to healthcare; use of health services; hand washing; child health; sanitation

 


IE Title & Author(s)

Country

Gender Outcome(s)

Intervention Category


Perova & Vakis

Peru

Consumption, income, use of healthcare services, child labor, school enrollment, school attendance

Cash Transfer


Zivin, et al.

Kenya

Reproductive Health, school attendance, labor force participation, nutrition

Antiretroviral Treatment


Linnemayr & Alderman

Senegal

Nutrition

Nutrition


Akresh, et al.

Burkina Faso

Use of healthcare services, Intrahousehold Bargaining

Cash Transfer


Newman, et al.

Bolivia

Child mortality, use of healthcare services, school performance

Social Fund


Bobonis, et al.

India

Gender disaggregated nutrition, school enrollment, school attendance

Iron Supplements


d'Adda, et al.

Kenya

Intrahousehold bargaining, reproductive health, women's access to healthcare

Antiretroviral Treatment


Macours, et al.

Nicaragua

Children's Nutrition, access to healthcare, cognitive skills, non-cognitive skills, Women's labor force participation, psychological agency

Cash Transfer


Macours, et al.

Nicaragua

Boys and girls health, nutrition, non-cognitive skills

Cash Transfer, Training


Thomas, et al.

Indonesia

Gender disaggregated nutrition, psychological agency, labor force participation, productivity

Iron Supplements


Yamano, et al.

Ethiopia

Gender disaggregated nutrition

Food Aid


Pradhan, et al.

Indonesia

Access to healthcare

Health Subsidy


Carneiro, et al.

Eritrea

Use of healthcare services

Malaria Control


Dupas

Kenya

Reproductive health

Sexual Education


Arcand & Bassole

Senegal

Health of women, nutrition, consumption, participation or having a voice in the community

Community Driven Development


Jalan & Ravallion

India

Sanitation, child health

Water


Armecin, et al.

Philippines

Children cognitive skills, nutrition

Early Childhood Development


Seininger & Liu

India

Female nutrition, consumption, psychological agency, participation or voice in community

Community Driven Development


Duflo, et al.

Kenya

Reproductive health, school enrollment, fertility

Reproductive Health


Kazianga, et al.

Burkina Faso

Gender disaggregated school enrollment, school attendance, nutrition

Nutrition


Basinga, et al.

Rwanda

Sexual, maternal and reproductive health outcomes

Pay Per Performance


Keating, et al.

Eritrea

Use of healthcare services

Malaria Control


Chase & Do

Vietnam

Gender disaggregated hand washing

Information Intervention, handwashing


Arcand, et al.

Senegal

Reproductive health

Reproductive Health


Pattanak, et al.

India

Hand washing, sanitation

Community Driven Development, Water and Sanitation


Buttenheim, et al.

Laos

Gender disaggregated school enrollment, nutrition

School feeding


Ivaschenko, et al.

India

Gender disaggregated nutrition

Nutrition


Alderman

Uganda

Gender disaggregated nutrition, income

Early Childhood Development, Deworming


Galasso & Umapathi

Madagascar

Gender disaggregated nutrition

Nutrition


de Walque, et al.

Tanzania

Reproductive health

Cash Transfer


Pop-Eleches, et al.

Kenya

Use of healthcare services

Reproductive Health


Bjorkman & Svensson

Uganda

Health of women and girls, sexual, maternal and reproductive health, participation or having a voice in community or societal activities, motivation

Community Driven Development


Galiani, et al

Peru

Gender disaggregated hand washing behaviors

Public Awareness


Vermeersch & Kremer

Kenya

Gender disaggregated school enrollment, attendance, performance; nutrition

School Feeding


Packel, et al.

Tanzania

Reproductive health, STDs/STIs, decision making over family formation

Reproductive Health


Olken, et al.

Indonesia

Maternal health, nutrition, school attendance

Community Driven Development


Clemens & Tiongson

Philippines

Gender Disaggregated: consumption, access to healthcare, property, savings, school performance, intrahousehold bargaining

Migration Permits


Kremer, et al.

Kenya

Health of girls

Sanitation


Thirumurthy, et al.

Kenya

Reproductive health, female labor force participation

Antiretroviral Treatment


Kremer & Miguel

Kenya

Use of healthcare services

Deworming


Attanasio & Mesnard

Colombia

Consumption, nutrition after transfers to a female

Cash Transfer


Gilligan, et al.

Ethiopia

Gender disaggregated nutrition, access to credit, employment

Cash Transfer


Hoddinott & Skoufias

Mexico

Nutrition

Cash Transfer


Gibson, et al.

Tonga

Gender disaggregated income, property, nutrition, labor force participation

Migration


Martinez, et al.

Mozambique

Gender disaggregated nutrition, educational enrollment, attainment, performance, literacy and numeracy, non-cognitive skills, women's labor force participation, aspirations

Early Childhood Development


Attanasio, et al.

Colombia

Consumption, nutrition after transfers to a female

Cash Transfer


Gertler & Vermeerch

Rwanda

Health of children

Pay for Performance


de Walque, et al.

Rwanda

Sexual and reproductive health outcomes

Pay for Performance


Miguel & Kremer

Kenya

Gender disaggregated use of healthcare services, school attendance

Deworming

 

 



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