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Malaria suitability, urbanization and subnational development in sub-Saharan Africa

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  • Flückiger, Matthias
  • Ludwig, Markus

Abstract

Using subnational data, we document that the climatic suitability for malaria falciparum transmission constitutes a first-nature characteristic that influences today’s spatial distribution of urbanization and socioeconomic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both, levels of urbanization and development are lower in regions that exhibit a high malaria transmission potential. Evidence further indicates that the settlement behavior of the European colonizers plays an important role in explaining why urban areas are concentrated in low risk areas. Throughout, we rely on an exclusively climate-based measure of malaria falciparum transmission intensity that is independent of local prevalence rates for identification. Robustness of estimates to inclusion of climatic suitability indices for further tropical diseases, null results in placebo tests and reproduction of findings outside of Africa support the validity of our identification strategy.

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  • Flückiger, Matthias & Ludwig, Markus, 2020. "Malaria suitability, urbanization and subnational development in sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:120:y:2020:i:c:s0094119020300504
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2020.103279
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    2. Jedwab, Remi & Johnson, Noel D. & Koyama, Mark, 2024. "Pandemics and cities: Evidence from the Black Death and the long-run," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    3. Bethencourt, Carlos & Marrero, Gustavo A. & Ngoudji, Charlie Y., 2021. "The Fight against Malaria: A New Index for Quantifying and Assessing Policy Implementation Actions to Reduce Mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 108570, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Malaria; Urbanization; Economic development; Sub-Saharan Africa;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • R12 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Size and Spatial Distributions of Regional Economic Activity; Interregional Trade (economic geography)
    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • N57 - Economic History - - Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment and Extractive Industries - - - Africa; Oceania

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