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Seeds of hope: Assessing the effect of development aid on the reduction of child mortality

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  • Roberto Burguet
  • Marcelo Soto

Abstract

The Millennium Declaration (2000) set as one of its targets a substantial reduction in child mortality. This paper studies whether the massive increase in development aid can account for part of the reduction in child mortality observed in developing countries since the year 2000. To do so, we analyze a panel of more than 130 developing countries over the 2000-2008 period. We use the time trend evolution of aid to identify an exogenous source of variation. Total aid has had no statistically significant effect on child mortality. However, a disaggregate analysis identifies certain sectors of aid that have had a significant impact. The effects have been larger in high mortality countries, including Sub-Saharan Africa. Projections based on our estimates strongly support the concern that most countries in that region will miss the Millennium Goals target on child mortality.

Suggested Citation

  • Roberto Burguet & Marcelo Soto, 2011. "Seeds of hope: Assessing the effect of development aid on the reduction of child mortality," Working Papers 591, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:591
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Roberto Burguet & Marcelo Soto, 2012. "Measuring the child mortality impact of official aid for fighting infectious diseases, 2000-2010," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 897.12, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC).
    2. Pérez-Moreno, Salvador & Blanco-Arana, María C. & Bárcena-Martín, Elena, 2016. "Economic cycles and child mortality: A cross-national study of the least developed countries," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 22(C), pages 14-23.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ODA; child mortality; aid effectiveness;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development

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