The Long-Term Health Effects of Early-Life Malaria Exposure

B-Tier
Journal: American Journal of Health Economics
Year: 2024
Volume: 10
Issue: 1
Pages: 30 - 67

Authors (4)

Cheng Chen (not in RePEc) Shin-Yi Chou (not in RePEc) Hsien-Ming Lien (not in RePEc) Jin-Tan Liu (National Taiwan University)

Score contribution per author:

0.503 = (α=2.01 / 4 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper attempts to examine how malaria eradication in Taiwan during the 1950s, which successfully wiped out malaria within a short period, affected long-term health. Relying on three data sets covering the entire population of Taiwan, we construct diverse measures of health, including health-care utilization, functional abilities, chronic diseases, and catastrophic illnesses. Our results indicate that people who experienced larger reductions in early-life malaria exposure tend to have better health status as adults, especially women. Our results suggest a sizable cost saving from the eradication program that improves early-life environment and helps to avoid costly diseases at a later point.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:ucp:amjhec:doi:10.1086/724216
Journal Field
Health
Author Count
4
Added to Database
2026-01-25