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The Impact of AIDS Treatment on Savings and Human Capital Investment in Malawi

Author

Listed:
  • Victoria Baranov

    (Department of Economics, University of Melbourne)

  • Hans-Peter Kohler

    (University of Pennsylvania)

Abstract

Antiretroviral therapy (ART), a treatment for AIDS, is rapidly increasing life expectancy throughout Africa. A longer life expectancy increases the value of human capital investment, though the effect on savings is theoretically ambiguous. This paper uses spatial and temporal variation in ART availability to evaluate the impact of ART provision on savings and investment. We find that ART availability significantly increases savings, expenditures on children, and children's schooling, particularly among HIV-negative individuals. These results are not driven by the direct health effects of treatment or reductions in caretaking responsibilities, but rather by improving perceptions of self-reported mortality risk.

Suggested Citation

  • Victoria Baranov & Hans-Peter Kohler, 2015. "The Impact of AIDS Treatment on Savings and Human Capital Investment in Malawi," Department of Economics - Working Papers Series 2001, The University of Melbourne.
    • Handle: RePEc:mlb:wpaper:2001
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life Expectancy; Human Capital Investment; Savings; HIV/AIDS;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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