Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Introduction: Globally every year, vector-borne diseases (VBDs) infects more than one billion people, kills more than one million people, constitutes around one-sixth of the total illness and disability, and poses risks to more than half of the world population. While factors affecting vulnerabilities and treatment seeking behaviours among households, particularly those with a VBD have been studied elsewhere, not much evidence exists from the Indian context.

Methodology: We used logistic regression model on a secondary data (35,339 observations across India), obtained from the National Sample Survey Organization 69^th round, to study the determinants of household vulnerability. We explored treatment seeking behaviour using a household-level primary survey (31 VBD cases from 20 households), conducted in two wards in Delhi.

Results: Secondary data analysis suggests that females with primary education (OR: 1.34, p < 0.01), those from Scheduled Tribes (OR: 1.98, p < 0.001), from lower consumption quintile (OR: 2.73, p < 0.001), living in slums (OR: 1.17, p < 0.05), and living in areas where no efforts were made by the local bodies to control mosquitoes (OR: 1.21, p < 0.001) were are at a disproportionately higher risk of getting malaria. Proximity to health facilities, provider trust, waiting time for treatment, lack of awareness about government programmes, and lack of facilities at government hospitals have shaped respondent’s treatment seeking behaviour.

Discussion: The vulnerabilities of people towards VBDs differ according to their socio-economic status. More integrated efforts from the government is required for prevention as well as for treatment of the VBDs.