Working Paper: NBER ID: w10011
Authors: Jintan Liu; James K Hammitt; Jungder Wang; Mengwen Tsou
Abstract: Two surveys conducted in Taiwan during the spring 2003 SARS epidemic reveal a high degree of concern about the threat posed by SARS to Taiwan and to residents, although respondents believe they are knowledgeable about the risk of SARS and that it is susceptible to individual control. WTP to reduce the risk of infection and death from SARS is elicited using contingent valuation methods. Estimated WTP is high, implying values per statistical life of US$3 to 12 million. While consistent with estimates for high-income countries, these values are substantially larger than previous estimates for Taiwan and may be attributable to the high degree of concern about SARS at the time the data were collected.
Keywords: SARS; Willingness to Pay; Contingent Valuation; Public Health
JEL Codes: I18; D61
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| perceived fatality rates from SARS (H12) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |
| knowledge about SARS transmission mechanisms (F42) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |
| degree of control over risk of contracting SARS (D81) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |
| household income (D19) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |
| perceived threat of SARS (H12) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |
| perceived risk (D81) | willingness to pay for a vaccine (I10) |