Do Public Health Interventions Crowd Out Private Health Investments? Malaria Control Policies in Eritrea

Pedro Carneiro, Andrea Locatelli, Tewolde Ghebremeskel () and Joseph Keating ()
Additional contact information
Tewolde Ghebremeskel: Ministry of Health
Joseph Keating: Tulane University

No 6560, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: It is often argued that engaging in indoor residual spraying (IRS) in areas with high coverage of mosquito bed nets may discourage net ownership and use. This is just a case of a public program inducing perverse incentives. We analyze new data from a randomized control trial conducted in Eritrea which surprisingly shows the opposite: IRS encouraged net acquisition and use. Our evidence points to the role of imperfect information. The introduction of IRS may have made the problem of malaria more salient, leading to a change in beliefs about its importance and to an increase in private health investments.

Keywords: crowding out; behavior; malaria; beliefs; information; indoor residual spray; bed nets; health; developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D12 D83 H42 I10 I12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 116 pages
Date: 2012-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cta and nep-hea
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

Published - substantially revised version pubished in: Labour Economics, 2017, 45, 107 - 115

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Related works:
Journal Article: Do public health interventions crowd out private health investments? Malaria control policies in Eritrea (2017)
Working Paper: Do public health interventions crowd out private health investments ? Malaria control policies in Eritrea (2015)
Working Paper: Do public health interventions crowd out private health investments? Malaria control policies in Eritrea (2012)
Working Paper: Do Public Health Interventions Crowd Out Private Health Investments? Malaria Control Policies in Eritrea (2012)
Working Paper: Do public health interventions crowd out private health investments? Malaria control policies in Eritrea (2012)
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