Disease, Disparities, and Development: Evidence from Chagas Disease Control

Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) primarily afflict the poorest people in developing economies and often lead to chronic health issues. Therefore, combating them could reduce inequality, the intergenerational transmission of poverty, and burdens on healthcare systems in such countries.

Recent research conducted by Jon Denton-Schneider and Eduardo Montero shows that these novel benefits of disease control arose from Brazil's initial campaign to eliminate Chagas disease (1984-89), an NTD that occurs almost entirely among poor, non-white and rural Latin Americans, and can cause long-run heart problems. They found that growing up free from exposure to this NTD raised the incomes of non-white adults by 6 to 9 percent and reduced non-literacy among their daughters by 0.5 percentage points (21 percent). Public spending on circulatory disease hospital care also fell by 14 percent. The results suggest that NTD control can reduce (racial) disparities in one of the world's most unequal regions while improving the public and fiscal health of developing countries.

On Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 12:30-2:00 PM EST, join Jon Denton-Schneider, Assistant Professor of Economics, Clark University for a hybrid research seminar on the intersection of disease control and economic inequality with evidence from Brazil.

This seminar is part of the Fall 2024 Human Capital Initiative Research Seminar Series.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Boston University Global Development Policy Center, 53 Bay State Road, Boston, United States