IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/nbr/nberwo/27200.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Can the World’s Poor Protect Themselves from the New Coronavirus?

Author

Listed:
  • Caitlin S. Brown
  • Martin Ravallion
  • Dominique van de Walle

Abstract

We propose an index of the adequacy of home environments for protection (HEP) from COVID-19, and we compare our index across developing countries using data for one million sampled households from the latest Demographic and Health Surveys. We find that prevailing WHO recommendations for protection posit unrealistic home environments. 90% of households have inadequate HEP by one or more dimensions considered. 40% do not have a formal health-care facility within 5km. A strong wealth effect is indicated within and between countries. Only 6% of the poorest 40% have an adequate HEP, and the proportion is virtually zero in sub-Saharan Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Caitlin S. Brown & Martin Ravallion & Dominique van de Walle, 2020. "Can the World’s Poor Protect Themselves from the New Coronavirus?," NBER Working Papers 27200, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27200
    Note: DEV EH
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.nber.org/papers/w27200.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ugo Gentilini & Mohamed Almenfi & Ian Orton & Pamela Dale, 2020. "Social Protection and Jobs Responses to COVID-19," World Bank Publications - Reports 33635, The World Bank Group.
    2. Petrou, Stavros & Kupek, Emil, 2010. "Poverty and childhood undernutrition in developing countries: A multi-national cohort study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(7), pages 1366-1373, October.
    3. David E. Sahn & David Stifel, 2003. "Exploring Alternative Measures of Welfare in the Absence of Expenditure Data," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 49(4), pages 463-489, December.
    4. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 1999. "The Effect of Household Wealth on Educational Attainment: Evidence from 35 Countries," Population and Development Review, The Population Council, Inc., vol. 25(1), pages 85-120, March.
    5. Deon Filmer & Lant Pritchett, 2001. "Estimating Wealth Effects Without Expenditure Data—Or Tears: An Application To Educational Enrollments In States Of India," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 38(1), pages 115-132, February.
    6. Margitic, Juan & Ravallion, Martin, 2019. "Lifting the floor? Economic development, social protection and the developing World's poorest," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 97-108.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ofori, Isaac K. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "Repackaging FDI for Inclusive Growth: Nullifying Effects and Policy Relevant Thresholds of Governance," MPRA Paper 111359, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    2. Agüero, Jorge M., 2021. "COVID-19 and the rise of intimate partner violence," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    3. Ofori, Isaac K. & Armah, Mark K. & Asmah, Emmanuel E., 2021. "Towards the Reversal of Poverty and Income Inequality Setbacks Due to COVID-19: The Role of Globalisation and Resource Allocation," MPRA Paper 108619, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Ofori, Isaac K. & Asonngu, Simplice A., 2021. "Foreign Direct Investment, Governance and Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 108178, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Jehovaness Aikaeli & David Garcés‐Urzainqui & Kenneth Mdadila, 2021. "Understanding poverty dynamics and vulnerability in Tanzania: 2012–2018," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(4), pages 1869-1894, November.
    6. Muna Shifa & David Gordon & Murray Leibbrandt & Mary Zhang, 2022. "Socioeconomic-Related Inequalities in COVID-19 Vulnerability in South Africa," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-20, August.
    7. Sandra Aguilar-Gomez & Eva O. Arceo-Gomez & Elia De la Cruz Toledo & Pedro J. Torres López, 2021. "Leadership, public health messaging, and containment of mobility in Mexico during the COVID-19 pandemic," Documentos de Trabajo 18893, The Latin American and Caribbean Economic Association (LACEA).
    8. Ofori, Isaac Kwesi, 2021. "Catching The Drivers of Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Application of Machine Learning," EconStor Preprints 235482, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    9. M. O. Oleche & D. K. Manda & R. G. Mutegi & S. Kipruto & M. K. Muriithi & P. Samoei & A. W. Ndirangu & G. Mwabu, 2023. "The gendered impacts of COVID-19 and business closure due to lockdown on wage employment in Kenya," Journal of Economic Policy and Management Issues, JEPMI, vol. 2(2), pages 31-48.
    10. Ofori, Isaac Kwesi & Asongu, Simplice A., 2021. "ICT Diffusion, Foreign Direct Investment and Inclusive Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa," MPRA Paper 107757, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Ofori, Isaac K. & Armah, Mark K. & Taale, Francis & Ofori, Pamela E., 2021. "Addressing the Severity and Intensity of Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa: How Relevant is the ICT and Financial Development Pathway?," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, issue forthcomi.
    12. Isabel Günther & Kenneth Harttgen & Johannes Seiler & Jürg Utzinger, 2022. "An index of access to essential infrastructure to identify where physical distancing is impossible," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Eva‐Maria Egger & Sam Jones & Patricia Justino & Ivan Manhique & Ricardo Santos, 2023. "Africa's lockdown dilemma: High poverty and low trust," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 35(7), pages 1648-1666, October.
    14. Demombynes,Gabriel & De Walque,Damien B. C. M. & Gubbins,Paul Michael & Urdinola,Beatriz Piedad & Veillard,Jeremy Henri Maurice, 2021. "COVID-19 Age-Mortality Curves for 2020 Are Flatter in Developing Countries Using Both Official DeathCounts and Excess Deaths," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9807, The World Bank.
    15. Shifa, Muna & Leibbrandt, Murray, 2021. "Spatial Inequality in Sub-Saharan Africa," EconStor Preprints 244591, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics.
    16. Demombynes,Gabriel, 2020. "COVID-19 Age-Mortality Curves Are Flatter in Developing Countries," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9313, The World Bank.
    17. Ofori, Isaac K. & Osei, Dennis B. & Alagidede, Imhotep P., 2022. "Inclusive growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Exploring the interaction between ICT diffusion, and financial development," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(7).
    18. Leininger, Julia & Strupat, Christoph & Adeto, Yonas Adaye & Shimeles, Abebe & Wasike, Wilson & Aleksandrova, Mariya & Berger, Axel & Brandi, Clara & Brüntrup, Michael & Burchi, Francesco & Dick, Eva , 2021. "The COVID-19 pandemic and structural transformation in Africa: Evidence for action," IDOS Discussion Papers 11/2021, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS).
    19. Katsushi S. Imai & Nidhi Kaicker & Raghav Gaiha, 2021. "Severity of the COVID‐19 pandemic in India," Review of Development Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 25(2), pages 517-546, May.
    20. Giannina Vaccaro & Tania Paredes, 2022. "COVID-19 and Gender Differences in the Labor Market: Evidence from the Peruvian Economy," Documentos de Trabajo / Working Papers 2022-515, Departamento de Economía - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
    21. Beltramo, Theresa P. & Calvi, Rossella & De Giorgi, Giacomo & Sarr, Ibrahima, 2023. "Child poverty among refugees," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    22. Caitlin S. Brown & Martin Ravallion, 2020. "Inequality and the Coronavirus: Socioeconomic Covariates of Behavioral Responses and Viral Outcomes Across US Counties," NBER Working Papers 27549, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Janz, Teresa & Augsburg, Britta & Gassmann, Franziska & Nimeh, Zina, 2023. "Leaving no one behind: Urban poverty traps in Sub-Saharan Africa," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    2. Abderrahman Yassine & Fatima Bakass, 2022. "Do Education and Employment Play a Role in Youth’s Poverty Alleviation? Evidence from Morocco," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    3. Grimm, Michael & Harttgen, Kenneth & Klasen, Stephan & Misselhorn, Mark, 2008. "A Human Development Index by Income Groups," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 36(12), pages 2527-2546, December.
    4. Luisa Natali & Marta Moratti, 2012. "Measuring Household Welfare: Short versus long consumption modules," Papers inwopa671, Innocenti Working Papers.
    5. Lovaton Davila, Rodrigo & McCarthy, Aine Seitz & Gondwe, Dorothy & Kirdruang, Phatta & Sharma, Uttam, 2022. "Water, walls, and bicycles: wealth index composition using census microdata," Journal of Demographic Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 88(1), pages 79-120, March.
    6. Emilie Caldeira, 2012. "Does the System of Allocation of Intergovernmental Transfers in Senegal Eliminate Politically Motivated Targeting?," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 21(2), pages 167-191, March.
    7. Dekker, Marlieen, 2008. "Estimating Wealth effects without expenditure Data: Evidence From rural Ethiopia," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 15(1), pages 1-85, May.
    8. Deon Filmer & Kinnon Scott, 2012. "Assessing Asset Indices," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 49(1), pages 359-392, February.
    9. Caitlin S. Brown & Martin Ravallion & Dominique van de Walle, 2017. "Are Poor Individuals Mainly Found in Poor Households? Evidence using Nutrition Data for Africa," NBER Working Papers 24047, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Eliana Jimenez & Ignacio Correa-Valez & Richard P.C. Brown, 2008. "Wealthy and Healthy in the South Pacific," Discussion Papers Series 378, School of Economics, University of Queensland, Australia.
    11. Bensch, Gunther & Grimm, Michael & Peter, Katharina & Peters, Jörg & Tasciotti, Luca, 2013. "Impact evaluation of improved stove use in Burkina: FAFASO," RWI Projektberichte, RWI - Leibniz-Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, number 111422.
    12. Derek Headey & David Stifel & Liangzhi You & Zhe Guo, 2018. "Remoteness, urbanization, and child nutrition in sub‐Saharan Africa," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(6), pages 765-775, November.
    13. Janina Isabel Steinert & Lucie Dale Cluver & G. J. Melendez-Torres & Sebastian Vollmer, 2018. "One Size Fits All? The Validity of a Composite Poverty Index Across Urban and Rural Households in South Africa," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 136(1), pages 51-72, February.
    14. Darius Erlangga & Shehzad Ali & Karen Bloor, 2019. "The impact of public health insurance on healthcare utilisation in Indonesia: evidence from panel data," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(4), pages 603-613, May.
    15. Cluver, L. & Shenderovich, Y. & Meinck, F. & Berezin, M.N. & Doubt, J. & Ward, C.L. & Parra-Cardona, J. & Lombard, C. & Lachman, J.M. & Wittesaele, C. & Wessels, I. & Gardner, F. & Steinert, J.I., 2020. "Parenting, mental health and economic pathways to prevention of violence against children in South Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    16. Langsten, Ray & Hassan, Tahra, 2018. "Primary education completion in Egypt: Trends and determinants," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 136-145.
    17. G. Guindon, 2014. "The impact of tobacco prices on smoking onset in Vietnam: duration analyses of retrospective data," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 15(1), pages 19-39, January.
    18. Carlo Azzarri & Gero Carletto & Benjamin Davis & Alberto Zezza, 2006. "Monitoring Poverty Without Consumption Data : An Application Using the Albania Panel Survey," Eastern European Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(1), pages 59-82, February.
    19. Emily Aiken & Suzanne Bellue & Dean Karlan & Christopher R. Udry & Joshua Blumenstock, 2021. "Machine Learning and Mobile Phone Data Can Improve the Targeting of Humanitarian Assistance," NBER Working Papers 29070, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    20. Guanghua Chi & Han Fang & Sourav Chatterjee & Joshua E. Blumenstock, 2022. "Microestimates of wealth for all low- and middle-income countries," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 119(3), pages 2113658119-, January.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:27200. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: the person in charge (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/nberrus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.