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Diseases and Development

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Author Info
Chris Papageorgiou ()
Shankha Chakraborty ()
Fidel Perez-Sebastian ()

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Abstract

This paper examines two related questions: what effects do infectious diseases exert on growth and development, and are they quantitatively important? We present evidence on the effect of health and infectious diseases on economic development using Hansen’s (2000) endogenous threshold methodology. Taking into account various proxies for infectious diseases as potential threshold variables we show that countries are clustered in regimes that obey different growth paths and thus provide direct evidence of threshold effects. Motivated by this evidence we propose an epidemiological overlapping generations model where the transmission and incidence of an infectious disease depend upon economic incentives and rational behavior. The economic cost of the disease comes from its effect on mortality (infected individuals can die prematurely) and morbidity (lower productivity and/or lower flow of utility from a given consumption bundle). Our main theoretical finding is that if infectious diseases are particularly virulent or debilitating, growth- or development-traps are possible. Numerical results from a calibrated version of the model show that threshold effects of diseases are quantitatively important and in particular, significant health interventions are required to propel disease-afflicted countries to a high-growth trajectory.

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Paper provided by Department of Economics, Louisiana State University in its series Departmental Working Papers with number 2005-12.

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Handle: RePEc:lsu:lsuwpp:2005-12

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  1. repec:att:wimass:1919983 is not listed on IDEAS
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  4. Hansen, Bruce E, 1996. "Inference When a Nuisance Parameter Is Not Identified under the Null Hypothesis," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(2), pages 413-30, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Javier Birchenall, 2007. "Escaping high mortality," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 12(4), pages 351-387, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  8. Azariadis, Costas & Drazen, Allan, 1990. "Threshold Externalities in Economic Development," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 105(2), pages 501-26, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Caner, Mehmet & Hansen, Bruce E., 2004. "Instrumental Variable Estimation Of A Threshold Model," Econometric Theory, Cambridge University Press, vol. 20(05), pages 813-843, October. [Downloadable!]
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  12. Durlauf, Steven N. & Kourtellos, Andros & Minkin, Artur, 2001. "The local Solow growth model," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 45(4-6), pages 928-940, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  15. Viscusi, W Kip & Evans, William N, 1990. "Utility Functions That Depend on Health Status: Estimates and Economic Implications," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 353-74, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  18. Barro, Robert J & Lee, Jong-Wha, 2001. "International Data on Educational Attainment: Updates and Implications," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 53(3), pages 541-63, July.
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  19. Geoffard, Pierre-Yves & Philipson, Tomas, 1996. "Rational Epidemics and Their Public Control," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 37(3), pages 603-24, August.
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  20. Bloom, David E & Canning, David & Sevilla, Jaypee, 2003. " Geography and Poverty Traps," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 8(4), pages 355-78, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  21. Costas AZARIADIS & David DE LA CROIX, 2002. "Growth or equality ? Losers and gainers from financial reform," Discussion Papers (IRES - Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales) 2002036, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES). [Downloadable!]
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  1. Bhattacharya, Joydeep & Bunzel, Helle & Qiao, Xue, 2007. "UNSAFE SEX, AIDS, and DEVELOPMENT," Staff General Research Papers 12832, Iowa State University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Hasan, Lubna, 2009. "Disease, Institutions and Underdevelopment," MPRA Paper 16862, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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  3. Douglas Gollin & Christian Zimmermann, 2007. "Malaria: Disease Impacts and Long-Run Income Differences," IZA Discussion Papers 2997, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Sambit Bhattacharyya, 2008. "Institutions, Diseases and Economic Progress: A Unified Framework," Departmental Working Papers 2008-15, Australian National University, Economics RSPAS. [Downloadable!]
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  5. Alan Martina, 2007. "A Class of Poverty Traps: A Theory and Empirical Tests," ANUCBE School of Economics Working Papers 2007-482, Australian National University, College of Business and Economics, School of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  6. Francesco Ricci & Marios Zachariadis, 2006. "Determinants of Public Health Outcomes: A Macroeconomic Perspective," DEGIT Conference Papers c011_045, DEGIT, Dynamics, Economic Growth, and International Trade. [Downloadable!]
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  7. Peter Lorentzen & John McMillan & Romain Wacziarg, 2008. "Death and development," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 81-124, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
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