Neglected Tropical Diseases, Health, and Education: Evidence From China

While extensive research has examined the impacts of fatal infectious diseases, relatively little attention has been devoted to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), which are typically non-fatal but impose significant health, social, and economic burdens. This study investigates the effects of a comprehensive schistosomiasis prevention and control policy implemented in China in 2006 on disease prevalence, as well as on the health and educational outcomes of compulsory education age children who had in-utero exposure to the policy. Using the policy as a quasi-experiment, we employ a difference-in-differences (DID) identification strategy. We find that the policy reduced schistosomiasis prevalence and led to improvements in both health and educational outcomes among children with in-utero exposure. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that these effects are primarily driven by boys. The exploration of potential mechanisms indicates the policy improved family income and educational expenditure. The results of this study provide empirical support for the effectiveness of a comprehensive prevention and control policy targeting schistosomiasis and possibly many other NTDs.