Can the World’s Poor Protect Themselves from the New Coronavirus?

Caitlin Brown, Martin Ravallion and Dominique van de Walle

No 27200, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We propose an index of the adequacy of home environments for protection (HEP) from COVID-19, and we compare our index across developing countries using data for one million sampled households from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys. We find that prevailing WHO recommendations for protection posit unrealistic home environments. 90% of households have inadequate HEP by one or more dimensions considered. 40% do not have a formal health-care facility within 5km. A strong wealth effect is indicated within and between countries. Only 6% of the poorest 40% have an adequate HEP, and the proportion is virtually zero in sub-Saharan Africa.

JEL-codes: I14 I15 O15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
Note: DEV EH
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (34)

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