Early-life Malaria Exposure and Adult Outcomes: Evidence from Malaria Eradication in India

Malaria, a disease that has afflicted humans for more than 10,000 years (Frederick L. Dunn 2003), today infects some 300 million people and kills 1 million each year (Jeffrey D. Sachs 2001). Despite important advances in the control of malaria during the twentieth century, the disease remains stubbornly prevalent throughout much of the world. Faced with this huge global burden, international organizations have redoubled their efforts to combat the disease. Many argue that improving health, while important in itself, can also lead to higher economic growth and development. John Luke Gallup and Sachs (2001) show that falciparum malaria endemicity is negatively correlated with economic growth across countries. In contrast, Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2007) argue that the wave of international health innovations that began in the 1940s did not lead