Can Vitamin A Equalize Gender Differentials in Child Survival? Evidence from Nepal

David Bishai, Johns Hopkins University
Samir Kumar, Tribhuvan University
Michael Koenig, Johns Hopkins University
Hugh Waters, Johns Hopkins University
Joanne Katz, Johns Hopkins University
Keith West, Johns Hopkins University

In 29 villages in the Sarlahi district of Nepal in 1989. Vitamin A was administered to 15,225 children age 6 to 60 months and placebo was administered to 14,834 comparable children. We compared the rate ratio of child death across gender, SES groups and caste between the Vitamin A and placebo groups. The female: male mortality rate ratio in the untreated group was 1.39 (95% CI: 1.09 - 1.78) compared to the vitamin A group rate ratio of 1.05 (95% CI: 0.79 - 1.39) p=0.13 for difference between groups. The ratio of mortality between caste other than Brahmin or Chatriya and Brahmin/Chatriya in the untreated group was 2.72 (95% CI: 1.7- 4.58) compared to the vitamin A group rate ratio of 1.84 (95% CI: 1.21 - 2.89) p=0.21. We conclude that universal treatment with vitamin A tends to make child death rates across gender, and caste more similar.