Adult Mortality and the Long-Run Impact on Households

Kathleen Beegle, World Bank Group
Stefan Dercon, University of Oxford
Joachim De Weerdt, Economic Development Initiatives (EDI)

Using a unique panel data from Tanzania, this study evaluates the long-run impact of adult mortality on the economic well-being of households. This research will add to our understanding of coping processes and long-term outcomes of this major health shock and address important questions: Do long-run coping mechanisms differ from short-run adjustments? Are some types of households buffered from shocks more than others? Does AIDS increase poverty despite short-run coping and is AIDS a poverty trap for future generations? The panel data is unique in that it will allow us to link individual positions from 1991 to 2004. This is achieved via a careful tracking of individuals initially interviewed at the baseline, even if it involves individuals that have split-off from the original households, or if the original households as an entity have ceased to exist.