Economic Epidemiology of Malaria and Income Growth

Abstract

This paper models the equilibrium dynamics of Malaria disease and growth in income. It incorporates utility maximizing private human as host behaviors regarding malaria related health care investments to build the disease dynamics and income growth. The paper contrasts how economic and biological epidemiology models differ in their predictions of dynamics of the disease and their effects on economic growth and in their prescriptions of public policies. The paper examines various public policies such as malaria awareness education program, provision of preventive cares to the poor through markets, and the timing of public malaria control programs, and the effects of such public policies on the dynamics of the disease and aggregate income.