Gender equity is an overarching principle that encompasses all of GAVI’s work. GAVI’s gender policy recognises equal access as a key factor for expanding vaccine coverage and making immunisation more equitable.
In 2010, GAVI funded a comprehensive review by the World Health Organization (WHO) which showed that globally there are no significant differences in immunisation coverage between girls and boys.
However, differences in coverage favouring either boys or girls are found in some countries and groups. In countries with high levels of gender inequity and “son preference”, meaning that many families prefer having sons over daughters, more boys than girls are immunised
New vaccines
In other groups, such as among children in the poorest households, girls are more often immunised than boys.
Empowering women
Improving the status of women in the couple and family is critical to improving child vaccination status.
Gender and Immunisation, Summary Report, Swiss Centre for International Health
Although mothers tend to be the primary caretakers of children and are generally held responsible for their health, many do not have the decision-making power or the resources to access immunisation and other health services. In societies where women have low status, their children – both girls and boys – are less likely to be immunised.
The WHO review found that when women are empowered, immunisation coverage increases.
Countries with a high level of gender equity, as measured through the Gender Development Index, have higher immunisation coverage, and the mother’s education is strongly related to her children’s vaccination and health.
According to the review, health service providers can improve immunisation coverage by better understanding and considering the barriers women face in accessing immunisation and other health services for their children. This includes accommodating the schedules of working women and taking into consideration other constraints women may experience in their multiple roles and responsibilities.
More female health providers can contribute to increasing immunisation uptake, as they are perceived as better able to understand the needs of mothers. Interventions that target both women and men, families and communities are an important part of challenging gender bias in immunisation and other child health services, and of increasing immunisation coverage.
Working with countries
GAVI works together with countries to overcome gender inequities.
Country proposals: GAVI’s guidelines for country proposals call attention to the need to identify and address gender-related and other barriers to the access and delivery of health services. Countries are encouraged to separate data based on sex, income and geographic location to help identify reasons for low immunisation coverage.
Health systems: Through its approach to health systems funding, GAVI aims to strengthen linkages between immunisation and other health services to improve outcomes for all girls, boys, women and men throughout their lives. Vaccines safeguard the health of women and mothers.
Role of Vaccines
Childhood vaccines protect the health of all women and reduce the burden of caring for sick children.
Hepatitis B: vaccines against hepatitis B directly benefit women’s health by preventing cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Maternal and neonatal tetanus: GAVI and UNICEF have supported countries in reaching more than 40 million women with vaccines that protect against maternal and neonatal tetanus, one of the most common lethal consequences of unclean deliveries.
HPV and rubella: in November 2011, the GAVI Board took steps towards supporting human papillomavirus (HPV) and rubella vaccines, which directly benefit women’s health, in GAVI-eligible countries.
Vaccines against HPV infection, the major cause of cervical cancer, are the first to protect against a women‘s cancer. Some 275,000 women die from cervical cancer every year. The vast majority of those deaths occur in developing countries, where women lack access to cancer screening and treatment services. HPV vaccines can prevent 70 % of all cervical cancer cases.
Rubella vaccine protects pregnant women against an infection that can cause miscarriage and stillbirth, or severe congenital defects and life-long disability in children. Each year, 90,000 children in GAVI-eligible countries are born with birth defects because their mothers suffered from rubella during pregnancy. GAVI’s support to rubella vaccine will help to fight this disease and protect both mothers and babies.
