Health Programs

Learners - Policy Lever

Essence

This lever captures the level of health guidance and support available to parents and children in the early years. Such support includes deworming treatment, prenatal visits, immunizations, and access to healthcare services.

Indicator

A score ranging from 1 to 5, calculated based on 4 questions relating to availability of health programs as well as 4 external de facto elements to capture quality of the programs. Responses to each set of 4 questions are scored according to a rubric that considers the factors associated with health programs for children and mothers. Two scores are reported: one for de jure policy existence and one for de facto policy implementation.

Background

Even with the best nutrition, health risks can cause malnutrition in children. The literature has pointed to worms, infections, and diarrheal disease caused by lack of sanitation facilities as health problems that are linked to malnutrition in children. Deworming, iodine supplements, and immunizations have led to major improvements in children’s nutrition as well as their ability to learn (Galasso & Wagstaff 2016). These deprivations at such early ages have long-lasting effects because they impair infants’ brain development (Coe et al. 2007; Garner et al. 2012; Nelson 2016). In the context of the school system, such deprivations mean that many children arrive at school unprepared to fully benefit from it (Paxson & Shady 2007; Schady et al. 2015). Even in a good school, deprived children learn less. While the Health Programs GEPD indicator can report on only a few health program types, these can signal whether problems in the provision of health services are reducing children’s school readiness. If desired, other sources of information, such as MICS and PHCPI, can be used to complement this information.

Existing Data Source
Policy Survey
School Survey

Instrument Used for Measurement

  • Survey of Public Officials
  • Existing Data Source
  • Policy Survey
  • School Survey

Measurement Approach

This indicator is made up of two factors – 4 de jure questions included in the Policy Survey that inquire about the existence and availability of health policies and programs, and a de facto component for each to capture the quality and/or coverage of each program. For example:

(de jure) Are young children required to receive a complete course of childhood immunizations?

(de facto) Percentage of children who at age 12-23 months had received all basic vaccinations

(de jure) Is there a policy that assures access to healthcare for young children?

(de facto) Percentage of children under 5 covered by health insurance

(de jure) Are deworming pills funded and distributed by the government? [Only included if applicable]

(de facto) Percentage of children age 6-59 months who received deworming medication. [Only included if applicable]

Instrument Sources

System Approach for Better Education Results – Early Childhood Education (SABER-ECE)

Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)/ Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS)