When Cure Is Better Than Prevention

This paper attempts to understand the communities' perception of protection, prevention and immunity in the specific context of measles and child health in general. The attempt here is to understand the various perceptions of the causation of measles and the quest for therapy in diverse socio-cultural contexts in India. The analysis focuses on the notion of 'preventable disease' as understood by the community, and on what constitutes prevention and immunity against measles.