The health and economic burdens of malaria: The American case

Using evidence for the United States during the nineteenth century, this paper measures the lifetime health and economic burdens resulting from malaria infections. In particular, the use of longitudinal data on the health of Union Army veterans along with data from U.S. federal census records on the socioeconomic characteristics of the general population makes it possible to examine the impact of malaria both on health conditions over various stages of the life span and on long-term individual economic productivity, which has rarely been estimated by previous studies. Using weather records and geographical information, I estimate the county-level risk of contracting malarial fevers in the period from 1850 to 1870.; The paper provides evidence that exposure to malaria-ridden environments in early life substantially diminished the lifetime health of Union Army veterans through its negative effects on nutrition, the immune system, the development of chronic diseases, and longevity. The paper also demonstrates that adult males in malaria-endemic counties had much lower levels of labor force participation and real estate wealth in the 1850-1870 period. Unaware of the malaria parasite and of its transmission via mosquitoes, a large population migrated into malaria-endemic regions to take advantage of economic opportunities between 1850 and 1860. However, the subsequent exposure to risk of malaria infections significantly hindered their wealth accumulation.