Malaria and Education: Evidence from Mali

Abstract

This article examines the influence of malaria on human capital accumulation in the village of Diankabou in Mali. To account for malaria endogeneity and its interaction with unobservable risk factors, we exploit natural variations in malaria immunity across individuals of several sympatric ethnic groups - the Fulani and the non-Fulani - that differ in their susceptibility to malaria. The Fulani are known to be less susceptible to malaria infections, despite living with a similar malaria transmission intensity compared with other ethnic groups. We also use natural variation of malaria intensity in the area (during and after the malaria transmission season) and we use this seasonal change as a treatment. We find that malaria has a causal impact on cognitive and educational outcomes in this village. We discuss the implications of this result for human capital investments and fertility decisions with the help of a quantity-quality model.