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Improving immunization coverage and equity - technical resources
Comparing Resources
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| Resource | Health Equity Assessment Toolkit |
|---|---|
| Purpose | A software application that enables interactive exploration and comparison of health inequalities in countries over time. |
| Content | The software has two components: (a) Explore inequality, which enables users to explore the situation in one setting of interest (e.g. a country, province or district) to determine the latest situation of inequality and the change in inequalities over time. (b) Compare inequality, which enables users to benchmark, i.e. compare the situation in one setting of interest with the situation in other settings. The tools use DHS and MICS data to overlay socio-economic indicators on vaccination coverage. They allow comparison of inequality trends over multiple DHS/HIS cycles. HEAT Plus allows the user to upload data sets for analysis (admin coverage data and local survey data typically). Currently contains disaggregated data for over 30 reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health indicators for 118 low- and middle-income countries. Some of the indicators included are: adolescent fertility rate, antenatal care coverage, BCG immunization, births attended by skilled health personnel, full-immunization coverage among one-year-olds, infant mortality rate, neonatal mortality rate, under-five mortality rate. It is available in two editions: HEAT, Built-in Database edition- which comes pre-installed with the Health Equity Monitor database. HEAT Plus, Upload Database edition- which allows users to upload and work with their own database. |
| Expected outcomes | An evidence base for planning and advocacy purpose for investment in pro equity health policies and interventions. |
| Use | •Does not require user input. The user just needs to select what should be visualised. •HEAT Plus allows for user input for database. |
| Strengths | (a) Inequalities can be assessed using disaggregated data and summary measures visualized in a variety of interactive graphs, maps and tables. Results can be exported and saved in different formats. (b) Data from any level can be uploaded to the system enabling sub-national data analysis. (c) Trends can be measured over time through comparison of data from multiple surveys. |
| Contraints/Limitations | (a) As with other databases, the data reflects states of health associated with social or geographic exposures, but cannot provide in depth analysis of determinants of health. (b) Information may not always be up to date, and there may be some large time gaps between data points. |
| Why use it | (a) The site can be used to provide an evidence base for pro equity interventions and strategies to reach zero dose and under immunised children. (b) it measures gaps in national coverage between populations with different social and geographic characteristics. (c) HEAT allows users to upload their own data and assess inequalities at the national or subnational level for a range of health indicators. |
| Who should use it | Global, Regional and National and sub National Health Planners, development partners, civil society agencies and educational institutions. |
| Example criteria this resource could address | Can visualize data over time disaggregate by different inequality dimensions (age, wealth quintile, education, place of residence, sex, subnational region) to understand the most prominent inequality dimensions in the country. |
| If available, notes on the development process | The software, contains the WHO Health Equity Monitor database, was beta-tested in 2015 as part of ongoing capacity building workshops on health inequality monitoring. |
| Additional Links | |
| Link to access the resource | /en/resources/repository/health-equity-assessment-toolkit |
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