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Can health-insurance help prevent child labor? An impact evaluation from Pakistan

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  • Landmann, Andreas
  • Frölich, Markus

Abstract

Child labor is a common consequence of economic shocks in developing countries. We show that reducing vulnerability can affect child labor outcomes. We exploit the extension of a health and accident insurance scheme by a Pakistani microfinance institution that was set up as a randomized controlled trial and accompanied by household panel surveys. Together with increased coverage the microfinance institution offered assistance with claim procedures in treatment branches. We find lower incidence of child labor, hazardous occupations and child labor earnings caused by the innovation. Boys are more often engaged in child labor in our sample, but also seem to profit more from the insurance innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Landmann, Andreas & Frölich, Markus, 2015. "Can health-insurance help prevent child labor? An impact evaluation from Pakistan," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 51-59.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jhecon:v:39:y:2015:i:c:p:51-59
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2014.10.003
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    Cited by:

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    3. Fischer, Torben & Frölich, Markus & Landmann, Andreas, 2018. "Adverse Selection in Low-Income Health Insurance Markets: Evidence from a RCT in Pakistan," IZA Discussion Papers 11751, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    4. Charles S. Tundui & Hawa P. Tundui, 2018. "Examining the effect of child labour in the profitability of women owned enterprises: a case of microcredit supported enterprises in Tanzania," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 8(1), pages 1-16, December.
    5. Phuong Huu Khiem & Yu-Chen Kuo, 2022. "Health insurance reform impact on children’s educational attainment: evidence from Vietnam," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 1255-1285, December.
    6. Dammert, Ana C. & de Hoop, Jacobus & Mvukiyehe, Eric & Rosati, Furio C., 2018. "Effects of public policy on child labor: Current knowledge, gaps, and implications for program design," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 104-123.
    7. Büttner, Nicolas & Grimm, Michael & Günther, Isabel & Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan, 2022. "The fertility transition in Sub-Saharan Africa: The role of structural change," Passauer Diskussionspapiere, Volkswirtschaftliche Reihe V-90-22, University of Passau, Faculty of Business and Economics.
    8. Nshakira-Rukundo, Emmanuel & Mussa, Essa Chanie & Gerber, Nicolas & von Braun, Joachim, 2020. "Impact of voluntary community-based health insurance on child stunting: Evidence from rural Uganda," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 245(C).
    9. Strobl, Renate, 2022. "Background risk, insurance and investment behaviour: Experimental evidence from Kenya," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 202(C), pages 34-68.
    10. Sadia Hussain & Hamna Ahmed, 2019. "The role of bundling in promoting sustainability of health insurance: evidence from Pakistan," The Geneva Papers on Risk and Insurance - Issues and Practice, Palgrave Macmillan;The Geneva Association, vol. 44(3), pages 503-526, July.
    11. Bernard, Tanguy & Frölich, Markus & Landmann, Andreas & Unte, Pia Naima & Viceisza, Angelino & Wouterse, Fleur, 2015. "Building Trust in Rural Producer Organizations in Senegal: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial," IZA Discussion Papers 9207, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Jinnat Ara & Dipanwita Sarkar & Jayanta Sarkar, 2021. "Like mother like daughter? Occupational mobility among children under asset transfer program in Bangladesh," QuBE Working Papers 061, QUT Business School.
    13. Bang, James & Mitra, Aniruddha & Abbas, Faisal, 2023. "Remittances and Child Labor in Pakistan: A Tale of Complementarities," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1285, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Jones, Kelly & Gong, Erick, 2021. "Precautionary savings and shock-coping behaviors: Effects of promoting mobile bank savings on transactional sex in Kenya," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    15. Grimm, Michael, 2016. "Rainfall Risk and Fertility: Evidence from Farm Settlements during the American Demographic Transition," IZA Discussion Papers 10351, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    16. Michael Grimm, 2021. "Rainfall risk, fertility and development: evidence from farm settlements during the American demographic transition," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 21(4), pages 593-618.
    17. Markus Frölich & Andreas Landmann, 2018. "Effects of Insurance on Child Labour: Ex-Ante and Ex-Post Behavioural Changes," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(6), pages 1002-1018, June.
    18. Strupat, Christoph, 2016. "From protection to reduction? The impact of the public health insurance scheme on child labour in Ghana," IDOS Discussion Papers 16/2016, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    19. Garcia-Mandicó, Sílvia & Reichert, Arndt & Strupat, Christoph, 2021. "The Social Value of Health Insurance: Results from Ghana," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    20. Fumagalli, Laura & Martin, Thomas, 2023. "Child labor among farm households in Mozambique and the role of reciprocal adult labor," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    21. Simona Helmsmüller & Andreas Landmann, 2022. "Does free hospitalization insurance change health care consumption of the poor? Short-term evidence from Pakistan," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 47(1), pages 238-275, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Child labor; Health insurance; Microinsurance; Vulnerability; Pakistan;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I13 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Insurance, Public and Private
    • J20 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - General
    • J82 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Labor Force Composition
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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