Voodoo, Vaccines and Bed Nets

Economics Development and Cultural Change, Forthcoming

LICOS Discussion Papers No. 394/2017

71 Pages Posted: 8 May 2017

See all articles by Nik Stoop

Nik Stoop

KU Leuven - LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance; University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management; Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO)

Marijke Verpoorten

University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management; Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Center for Economic Studies

Koen Deconinck

KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS)

Date Written: 2017

Abstract

We provide the first quantitative analysis to scrutinize the ample ethnographic evidence that magico-religious beliefs affect the demand for conventional healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. We rely on the unique case of Benin, where Voodoo-adherence is freely reported, and varies greatly within villages and even within households, yet can be traced to historic events that are arguably exogenous to present-day healthcare behavior. These features allow us to account for confounding village- and household-factors, and address self-selection into Voodoo. We find that Voodoo adherence of the mother is associated with lower uptake of preventive healthcare measures and worse child health outcomes, a relationship that weakens but remains when controlling for village dummies and a large set of observables. We employ three different strategies to test for the potential influence of unobservables. The results suggest that the estimated Voodoo-effects are partly causal. A tentative exploration of the causal mechanisms suggests a mediating role of traditional healers.

Suggested Citation

Stoop, Nik and Verpoorten, Marijke and Deconinck, Koen, Voodoo, Vaccines and Bed Nets (2017). Economics Development and Cultural Change, Forthcoming, LICOS Discussion Papers No. 394/2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2961719

Nik Stoop (Contact Author)

KU Leuven - LICOS - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance ( email )

Waaistraat 6
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management ( email )

City campus building S
Lange Sint Annastraat 7
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium

Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO) ( email )

Egmontstraat 5
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

Marijke Verpoorten

University of Antwerp - Institute of Development Policy and Management ( email )

City campus building S
Lange Sint Annastraat 7
Antwerp, 2000
Belgium

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven - Center for Economic Studies ( email )

Naamsestraat 69
Leuven, B-3000
Belgium

Koen Deconinck

KU Leuven - Centre for Institutions and Economic Performance (LICOS) ( email )

Waaistraat 6 - box 3511
Leuven, 3000
Belgium

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
67
Abstract Views
458
Rank
608,061
PlumX Metrics