The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Human Capital Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Evidence

33 Pages Posted: 17 Aug 2019 Last revised: 18 May 2020

See all articles by Luke Chicoine

Luke Chicoine

Amazon; Bates College; IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Emily Lyons

Bates College

Alexia Sahue

Bates College

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: May 15, 2020

Abstract

The risk of AIDS-related mortality increased dramatically throughout the 1990s. This paper updates previous work by Fortson (2011) to examine the impact of mortality risk on human capital investment during the deadliest period of the pandemic. We combine Demographic Health Survey data from 30 countries, across 60 survey waves, to generate a sample of over 1,300,000 observations. Cohort-specific analysis using the updated sample yields new evidence that the negative relationship between HIV prevalence and schooling steepened as mortality risk increased. The reduction in schooling is largest for women, and along the extensive margin of the schooling decision. The findings indicate that the decline in human capital investment associated with the HIV/AIDS pandemic prior to the availability of treatment was larger in magnitude than previously understood, but may be reversing rapidly as access to treatment is expanded.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, mortality risk, schooling

JEL Classification: I15, I25, O55

Suggested Citation

Chicoine, Luke and Chicoine, Luke and Lyons, Emily and Sahue, Alexia, The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Human Capital Investment in Sub-Saharan Africa: New Evidence (May 15, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3437138 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3437138

Bates College ( email )

Lewiston, ME 04240
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Emily Lyons

Bates College ( email )

204 Lane Hall
2 Andrews Road
Lewiston, ME 04240
United States

Alexia Sahue

Bates College ( email )

204 Lane Hall
2 Andrews Road
Lewiston, ME 04240
United States

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