The spillover impacts of Africa’s orphan crisis

Type Journal Article - Unpublished manuscript. RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, CA
Title The spillover impacts of Africa’s orphan crisis
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 2005
URL http://www.csae.ox.ac.uk/conferences/2006-EOI-RPI/papers/csae/Evans_spillovers.pdf
Abstract
Over 7.5 million children in sub-Saharan Africa are double orphans, having neither parent alive. Using a collection of 41 Demographic and Health Surveys from 26 African countries, I first characterize households that provide care for orphans. I then estimate the impact of taking in orphans on outcomes for other household residents, including children’s health and education. One finding is that orphan care is concentrated in households with fewer other childcare responsibilities, especially elderly households. Using bias-corrected matching estimation, sibling differences within households, instrumental variables estimation, and a range of specifications, I find no evidence for significant effects of having an orphan join the household on other household members, contrary to popular views that orphans generate negative spillovers.

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