Open AccessTwenty-year economic impacts of deworming
Author(s) -
Joan Hamory,
Edward Miguel,
Michael Walker,
Michael Kremer,
Sarah Baird
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2023185118
Subject(s) - deworming , earnings , respondent , consumption (sociology) , productivity , standard of living , environmental health , residence , demography , medicine , socioeconomics , economics , demographic economics , economic growth , market economy , social science , accounting , sociology , political science , helminths , law , immunology
Significance The belief that investing in child health and nutrition can generate improvements in individuals’ future quality of life is the rationale for many policy initiatives around the world. Yet there remains limited evidence on the causal impacts of child health gains on adult living standards, especially in developing countries. This study contributes evidence that addresses leading methodological concerns, by using variation in child health via a randomized health intervention that provided deworming treatment to Kenyan children. We estimate impacts on individual living standards up to 20 y later among a representative sample of participants, and find those in the deworming treatment group experience meaningful gains in adult living standards and earnings, and shifts in sectors of residence and employment.