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Malaria: Disease Impacts and Long-Run Income Differences

Author

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  • Douglas Gollin

    (Williams College)

  • Christian Zimmermann

    (University of Connecticut)

Abstract

Malaria is a parasitic disease that causes over 300 million "acute illness" episodes and one million deaths annually. Most occur in the tropics, especially sub-Saharan Africa. Countries with high rates of malaria prevalence are gen- erally poor, and some researchers have suggested a direct link from malaria to poverty. We explore the interactions between malaria and national income, using a dynamic general equilibrium framework with epidemiological features. We find that without prevention or control, malaria can have a large impact on income. However, if people have any effective ways of avoiding infection, the disease has little effect on income levels.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas Gollin & Christian Zimmermann, 2007. "Malaria: Disease Impacts and Long-Run Income Differences," Working papers 2007-30, University of Connecticut, Department of Economics, revised Apr 2010.
    • Handle: RePEc:uct:uconnp:2007-30
    Note: Portions of this research were undertaken while Gollin was on leave at the Economic Growth Center, Yale University, and at the Centre for Study of African Economies, Oxford University. Gollin gratefully acknowledges support and facilities at both institutions. Hoyt Bleakley has kindly shared information and preliminary results. We have also benefited from the comments of Ben Bridgman, Steve Meardon, Lara Shore-Sheppard, Gustavo Ventura, David Weil, and seminar and conference participants at the Arizona State University Conference on Economic Development; the Society for Economic Dynamics 2005 meetings in Budapest; the University of Essex; Rutgers University; the University of Delaware; University of Connecticut; University of Houston; Wesleyan University; LAMES 2006 in Mexico City; the Northeast Universities Development Conference 2005 at Brown University; and the Harvard Center for International Development.s May 2007 conference on Health Improvements for Economic Growth.
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    10. Hoyt Bleakley, 2006. "Malaria In The Americas: A Retrospective Analysis Of Childhood Exposure," Documentos CEDE 3185, Universidad de los Andes, Facultad de Economía, CEDE.
    11. Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson, 2007. "Disease and Development: The Effect of Life Expectancy on Economic Growth," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 115(6), pages 925-985, December.
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    15. repec:reg:rpubli:282 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Jeffrey Sachs & Pia Malaney, 2002. "The economic and social burden of malaria," Nature, Nature, vol. 415(6872), pages 680-685, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Development economics needs to refocus on theory
      by Economic Logician in Economic Logic on 2009-04-10 18:35:00
    2. Pharmaceutical Patents: Making malaria drugs available at low cost
      by Christian Zimmermann in Against Monopoly on 2009-02-27 19:47:34

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. McNamara, Paul E. & Ulimwengu, John M. & Leonard, Kenneth L., 2010. "Do health investments improve agricultural productivity? Lessons from agricultural household and health research," IFPRI discussion papers 1012, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    2. Pattanayak Subhrendu K. & Ross Martin T. & Depro Brooks M. & Bauch Simone C. & Timmins Christopher & Wendland Kelly J. & Alger Keith, 2009. "Climate Change and Conservation in Brazil: CGE Evaluation of Health and Wealth Impacts," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 9(2), pages 1-44, September.
    3. Rodolfo Manuelli & Emircan Yurdagul, 2021. "AIDS, Human Capital and Development," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 42, pages 178-193, October.
    4. Gollin, Douglas & Zimmermann, Christian, 2010. "Global Climate Change and the Resurgence of Tropical Disease: An Economic Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 5042, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Jean-Claude Berthélemy & Josselin Thuilliez & Ogobara Doumbo & Jean Gaudart, 2013. "Malaria and protective behaviours: is there a malaria trap?," Post-Print inserm-00838508, HAL.
    6. Shufang Zhang & Marcia C. Castro & David Canning, 2011. "The Effect of Malaria on Settlement and Land Use: Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon," PGDA Working Papers 7711, Program on the Global Demography of Aging.
    7. Rodolfo E. Manuelli, 2011. "Disease and Development: The Role of Human Capital," 2011 Meeting Papers 605, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    8. Weil, David N., 2014. "Health and Economic Growth," Handbook of Economic Growth, in: Philippe Aghion & Steven Durlauf (ed.), Handbook of Economic Growth, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 3, pages 623-682, Elsevier.
    9. Flückiger, Matthias & Ludwig, Markus, 2017. "Malaria suitability, urbanization and persistence: Evidence from China over more than 2000 years," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 146-160.
    10. Wielgosz, Benjamin & Mangheni, Margaret Najjingo & Tsegai, Daniel & Ringler, Claudia, 2012. "Malaria and agriculture: A global review of the literature with a focus on the application of integrated pest and vector management in East Africa and Uganda," IFPRI discussion papers 1232, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Douglas Gollin & Christian Zimmermann, 2012. "Global Climate Change, the Economy, and the Resurgence of Tropical Disease," Mathematical Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 51-62, January.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Malaria; Epidemiology; GDP; Disease prevention; Sub-Saharan Africa.;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
    • O11 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development
    • E13 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - General Aggregative Models - - - Neoclassical
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth

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