Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Shampa Bhattacharjee
Author-Name-First: Shampa
Author-Name-Last: Bhattacharjee
Author-Email: shampa.bhattacharjee@snu.edu.in
Author-Workplace-Name: Shiv Nadar University
Author-Name: Aparajita Dasgupta
Author-Name-First: Aparajita
Author-Name-Last: Dasgupta
Author-Email: aparajita.dasgupta@ashoka.edu.in
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Ashoka University
Title: Disease eradication, infant mortality and fertility response :Evidence from malaria eradication in India
Abstract: Disease environment and demographic change plays a critical role in determining the size and quality of human capital that drives the growth path of an economy. While broad patterns of demographic transition are understood there is a mixed evidence on the role of disease eradication in expediting demographic change. Using the massive malaria eradication program in India during the 1950's as a natural experiment, we examine the effect of disease environment on infant mortality and fertility response at household level. We harmonize a rich database on malaria endemicity with fertility histories of women to exploit the cohort level variation in exposure to the program. We find that the program leads to a significant decline in infant and neonatal mortality and leads to a significant increase in probability of birth in high malaria-endemic regions. We confirm the mechanism of fall in mother's age at first birth in post eradication period drives the fertility response.
length: 40
Creation-Date: 20191104
Revision-Date: 
Publication-Status: 
File-URL: https://dp.ashoka.edu.in/ash/wpaper/paper22_0.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf 
Number: 22
Keywords: Disease eradication
Keywords: Fertility
Keywords: Infant Mortality
Keywords: Malaria
Keywords: Selection Bias
Handle: RePEc:ash:wpaper:22