The Economics of Malaria in Africa

Abstract

Malaria still claims a heavy human and economic toll, specifically in sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the causality between malaria and poverty is presumably bi-directional, malaria plays a role in the economic difficulties of the region. This article provides an analysis of the economic consequences of malaria (with an emphasis on human capital accumulation and productivity), and a discussion of policies aimed at reducing its incidence. A major initiative has been the distribution of insecticidal bed-nets at a highly subsidized price. An economic-epidemiology model is used to explain why such policy is doomed to fail in presence of a very high poverty incidence, as observed in the African region.

Citation

Berthélemy, J.; Thuilliez, J. The Economics of Malaria in Africa. UNU-WIDER, Helsinki, Finland (2014) 27 pp. ISBN 978-92-9230-768-4 [WIDER Working Paper No. 2014/047]

The Economics of Malaria in Africa

Published 1 January 2014