Disease Control and Inequality Reduction: Evidence from a Tuberculosis Testing and Vaccination Campaign

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Butikofer, Aline; Salvanes, Kjell G.
• 署名单位: Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
• 刊物名称: REVIEW OF ECONOMIC STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0034-6527
• DOI: 10.1093/restud/rdaa022
• 发表日期: 2020
• 页码: 2087-2125
• 关键词: in-utero; children born; air-pollution; HEALTH; exposure; bcg; norway; women; metaanalysis; influenza

摘要

This article examines the economic impact of a tuberculosis control program launched in Norway in 1948. In the 1940s, Norway had one of the highest tuberculosis infection rates in Europe, affecting about 85% of the inhabitants. To lower the disease burden, the Norwegian government launched a largescale tuberculosis testing and vaccination campaign that substantially reduced tuberculosis infection rates among children. We find that cohorts in school during and after the campaign in municipalities with high tuberculosis prevalence gained more in terms of education, earnings, longevity, and height following this public health intervention. Furthermore, the gains from the disease control program are not limited to the initially treated cohorts but also affect their children. The results also suggest that individuals from a low socioeconomic background benefited more from the intervention and we present new evidence that a narrowing of the gap in childhood health can lead to a reduction in socioeconomic inequalities in adulthood.