The effects of malaria on economic growth and development in Kenya
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Date
2004-09Author
Tuitoek, Joseph K
Type
ThesisLanguage
enMetadata
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This paper was conducted to determine and provide insight into the long-run macro-economic
effects of malaria on economic growth and development in Kenya based on national data. Time
series regressions and analysis for the 1970-2002 periods confirm this relationship.
Estimating the economic costs of any disease will always involve a certain number of assumptions.
However, we have attempted to estimate as accurately as possible the costs that malaria imposes
on the Kenyan economy.
Kenya is a poor country thus not able to effectively and successfully control malaria disease as
evidenced by increasing transmission. This has severely affected economic growth and
development. By applying OLS regression analysis on the C-D production function for Kenya we
examined how malaria erodes economic growth and development. Malaria is found to be strongly
significant and negatively related to economic growth. The descriptive statistics and OLS
estimation results reveal that the economic growth grew less by 0.7% GDP per capita income as a
result of malaria during the period. These results mean that there is a need to recognize the
malaria's toll on the Kenyan economy in order to improve living standards of the people.
The study concludes by calling for serious attention on the need to increase GDP per capita in
Kenya. This can be done through .f..i.nancing programs in health, education, industrial and
population that will contribute to higher economic growth as well as economic development.
Citation
Masters of Arts Degree in EconomicsPublisher
University of Nairobi Department of Arts in Economics
Description
Thesis Master of Arts in Economics