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The Impact of Electricity Sector Privatization on Public Health

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  • Martín Gonzalez-Eiras
  • Martín A. Rossi

Abstract

This paper uses provincial-level data for Argentina to test for the causal relationship between electricity distribution and health. It examines the impact of privatization on two output measures: incidence of low birth weight and child mortality rates caused by food poisoning. Privatization improves service coverage which, through the use of refrigerators, may improve nutritional intake. Privatization also results in a reduction in the frequency of interruptions, and thus may reduce the likelihood of food poisoning. Though the evidence indicates that privatization reduced the frequency of low birth weight and child mortality rates caused by food poisoning, the results are not strong enough to inform the policy debate with respect to the benefits of privatization for the welfare of the poor.

Suggested Citation

  • Martín Gonzalez-Eiras & Martín A. Rossi, 2007. "The Impact of Electricity Sector Privatization on Public Health," Research Department Publications 3228, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    • Handle: RePEc:idb:wpaper:3228
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Pollitt, Michael, 2008. "Electricity reform in Argentina: Lessons for developing countries," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 1536-1567, July.
    2. Daniel Benitez & Omar Chisari & Antonio Estache, 2003. "Can the gains from Argentina's utilities reform offset credit shocks?," Chapters, in: Cecilia Ugaz (ed.), Utility Privatization and Regulation, chapter 8, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    3. Chisari, Omar & Estache, Antonio & Romero, Carlos, 1997. "Winners and losers from utility privatization in Argentina : lessons from a general equilibrium model," Policy Research Working Paper Series 1824, The World Bank.
    4. Sebastian Galiani & Paul Gertler & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2002. "The Benefits and Costs of Privatization in Argentina: A Microeconomics Analysis," Working Papers 53, Universidad de San Andres, Departamento de Economia, revised Sep 2002.
    5. Marianne Bertrand & Esther Duflo & Sendhil Mullainathan, 2004. "How Much Should We Trust Differences-In-Differences Estimates?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 119(1), pages 249-275.
    6. Chisari, Omar & Estache, Antonio & Romero, Carlos, 1999. "Winners and Losers from the Privatization and Regulation of Utilities: Lessons from a General Equilibrium Model of Argentina," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 13(2), pages 357-378, May.
    7. Douglas Almond & Kenneth Y. Chay & David S. Lee, 2005. "The Costs of Low Birth Weight," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 120(3), pages 1031-1083.
    8. Sebastian Galiani & Paul Gertler & Ernesto Schargrodsky, 2005. "Water for Life: The Impact of the Privatization of Water Services on Child Mortality," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 113(1), pages 83-120, February.
    9. Federico Sturzenegger & Ernesto Schargrodsky & Sebastian Galiani & Paul Gertler, 2003. "The Costs and Benefits of Privatization in Argentina: A Microeconomic Analysis," Research Department Publications 3148, Inter-American Development Bank, Research Department.
    10. Moulton, Brent R, 1990. "An Illustration of a Pitfall in Estimating the Effects of Aggregate Variables on Micro Unit," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 72(2), pages 334-338, May.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yevgeniy Goryakin & Lorenzo Rocco & Marc Suhrcke & Bayard Roberts & Martin McKee, 2014. "The effect of health on labour supply in nine former Soviet Union countries," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(1), pages 57-68, January.
    2. Arráiz, Irani & Calero, Carla, 2015. "From Candles to Light: The Impact of Rural Electrification," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 6917, Inter-American Development Bank.
    3. Antonio Estache, 2010. "A survey of impact evaluations of infrastructure projects, programs and policies," Working Papers ECARES 2010_005, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    4. Kohlin, Gunnar & Sills, Erin O. & Pattanayak, Subhrendu K. & Wilfong, Christopher, 2011. "Energy, gender and development: what are the linkages ? where is the evidence ?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5800, The World Bank.
    5. Pablo David Necoechea-Porras & Asunción López & Juan Carlos Salazar-Elena, 2021. "Deregulation in the Energy Sector and Its Economic Effects on the Power Sector: A Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-23, March.
    6. Irani Arráiz & Carla Calero, 2015. "From Candles to Light: The Impact of Rural Electrification," IDB Publications (Working Papers) 89136, Inter-American Development Bank.
    7. Sundar Ponnusamy, 2022. "Rainfall shocks, child mortality, and water infrastructure," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(7), pages 1317-1338, July.
    8. Devkar, Ganesh A. & Mahalingam, Ashwin & Deep, Akash & Thillairajan, A., 2013. "Impact of Private Sector Participation on access and quality in provision of electricity, telecom and water services in developing countries: A systematic review," Utilities Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 65-81.
    9. Richard T. Boylan, 2016. "Power to the People: Does Ownership Type Influence Electricity Service?," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(2), pages 441-476.

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