Working Paper: NBER ID: w16069
Authors: Nava Ashraf; Gnther Fink; David N. Weil
Abstract: Since 2003, Zambia has been engaged in a large-scale, centrally coordinated national anti-Malaria campaign which has become a model in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper aims at quantifying the individual and macro level benefits of this campaign, which involved mass distribution of insecticide treated mosquito nets, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, indoor residual spraying, rapid diagnostic tests, and artemisinin-based combination therapy. We discuss the timing and regional coverage of the program, and critically review the available health and program rollout data. To estimate the health benefits associated with the program rollout, we use both population based morbidity measures from the Demographic and Health Surveys and health facility based mortality data as reported in the national Health Management Information System. While we find rather robust correlations between the rollout of bed nets and subsequent improvements in our health measures, the link between regional spraying and individual level health appears rather weak in the data.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: I18
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) (O15) | Reduction in child fever prevalence (I14) |
| Full coverage of bed nets (G52) | Lower child mortality (J13) |
| Indoor residual spraying (IRS) (H23) | Reduction in malaria deaths (I14) |
| Indoor residual spraying (IRS) (H23) | Slower decline in malaria prevalence (O15) |
| Distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) (O15) | Health improvements (I14) |