Do Free Goods Stick to Poor Households? Experimental Evidence on Insecticide Treated Bednets

B-Tier
Journal: World Development
Year: 2009
Volume: 37
Issue: 3
Pages: 607-617

Score contribution per author:

0.670 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

Summary If the market allocates goods to those willing and able to pay the most for them, efforts to target durable health goods such as insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) to poor populations may prove ineffective, with the poor reselling donated goods to the non-poor who value them more highly. However, low market demand may be due to liquidity constraints rather than low valuation of nets. The endowment effect also militates against the resale of in-kind transfers. We quantify these two effects through a field experiment in Uganda. Our results indicate that very few nets will be resold by recipient households.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:wdevel:v:37:y:2009:i:3:p:607-617
Journal Field
Development
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-24