Disease eradication, infant mortality and fertility response:Evidence from malaria eradication in India

Shampa Bhattacharjee () and Aparajita Dasgupta
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Shampa Bhattacharjee: Shiv Nadar University

No 22, Working Papers from Ashoka University, Department of Economics

Abstract: Disease environment and demographic change plays a critical role in determining the size and quality of human capital that drives the growth path of an economy. While broad patterns of demographic transition are understood there is a mixed evidence on the role of disease eradication in expediting demographic change. Using the massive malaria eradication program in India during the 1950's as a natural experiment, we examine the effect of disease environment on infant mortality and fertility response at household level. We harmonize a rich database on malaria endemicity with fertility histories of women to exploit the cohort level variation in exposure to the program. We find that the program leads to a significant decline in infant and neonatal mortality and leads to a significant increase in probability of birth in high malaria-endemic regions. We confirm the mechanism of fall in mother's age at first birth in post eradication period drives the fertility response.

Keywords: Disease; eradication; Fertility; Infant; Mortality; Malaria; Selection; Bias (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 40
Date: 2019-11-04
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dev
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Related works:
Journal Article: Disease Eradication, Infant Mortality, and Fertility Response: Evidence from Malaria Eradication in India (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ash:wpaper:22

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