The Impact of Anganwadi Centers’ Services on Infant Survival in India

This study explores the positive association between healthcare programs of Anganwadi Centers (AWCs) and the infant survival rate in India by using three complimentary log-log regression models. This study employed AWCs’ three services—nutritional aid, immunization, and health-check—targeting pregnant/lactating mothers and children for the performance evaluation. The India Human Development Survey I, which collected the data of households including mothers who partook in Anganwadi program in her most recent childbirth between 2000 and 2005 and households including those who did not, was used in order to investigate the effectiveness of these services. The survival status of the infants as an outcome variable, a predictor variable reflecting each service, and seven control variables are included in each complementary log-log regression model. Although prior studies illustrate ineffectiveness and inefficiency of Anganwadi services, the results of this study show a statistically significant, positive association between those receiving supplementary nutrition from AWCs and infant survival rate. Further research is necessary to confirm this finding because there are several limitations in this study. Finally, this study recommended refining women’s education programs and assisting self-help groups to solve India’s socio-economic problems based on a discovered positive association between women’s education and the infant survival rate.