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Health Spillover Effects of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program

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  • Diana Contreras
  • Pushkar Maitra

Abstract

While the primary aim of most Conditional Cash Transfer (or CCT) programs is to increase the level of human capital of children in poor households, there are also potentially large spillover effects associated with such programs. We illustrate this using data from the Familias en Accion (FA) program that has been in operation in Colombia for almost a decade. The health and nutrition component of the program was targeted at households with at least one child aged between 0 and 5. Receipt of the cash transfer was conditional upon fulfilling specific health care requirements: growth and development check-ups for children, and attendance at sessions on nutrition, hygiene and contraception by the children's primary caregivers. We find significant improvement in the health of non-targeted adults in treatment households, both in terms of incidence of illness (in the short and the medium run) and on the severity of illness (over the medium run). The main mechanism behind this effect appears to be the availability of better information and creation of health public goods within the household as a result of this program.

Suggested Citation

  • Diana Contreras & Pushkar Maitra, 2013. "Health Spillover Effects of a Conditional Cash Transfer Program," Monash Economics Working Papers 44-13, Monash University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:mos:moswps:2013-44
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    File URL: http://www.buseco.monash.edu.au/eco/research/papers/2013/index.html
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    Cited by:

    1. Natalia Guerrero & Oswaldo Molina & Diego Winkelried, 2020. "Conditional cash transfers, spillovers, and informal health care: Evidence from Peru," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 29(2), pages 111-122, February.
    2. Witvorapong, Nopphol & Foshanji, Abo Ismael, 2016. "The impact of a conditional cash transfer program on the utilization of non-targeted services: Evidence from Afghanistan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 152(C), pages 87-95.
    3. Esso‐Hanam Atake & Yevessé Dandonougbo & Fifonsi Adjidossi Gbeasor‐Komlanvi & Malb Ama N’Danida Yagninim & Didier Koumavi Kouevi, 2024. "Impacts of unconditional cash transfers on health care utilisation in informal sector households in Togo," International Journal of Health Planning and Management, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 39(1), pages 62-82, January.
    4. Song, Yang & Cheng, Zerui, 2024. "The impact of welfare design on consumption patterns of the poor: Evidence from the recent Dibao reform in rural China11This research is supported by National Social Science Foundation of China (22AZD114 and 21ZDA098). The authors would like to thank," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    5. Somdeep Chatterjee & Prashant Poddar, 2021. "From Safe Motherhood to Cognitive Ability: Exploring Intrahousehold and Intergenerational Spillovers," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 88(352), pages 1075-1106, October.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • C33 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models; Multiple Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models

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