C. Journal articles published externally
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Why Should We Care about Child Labor? The Education, Labor Market, and Health Consequences of Child Labor
( 2009-10) Beegle, Kathleen ; Dehejia, Rajeev ; Gatti, RobertaDespite the extensive literature on the determinants of child labor, the evidence on the consequences of child labor on outcomes such as education, labor, and health is limited. We evaluate the causal effect of child labor participation among children in school on these outcomes using panel data from Vietnam and an instrumental variables strategy. Five years subsequent to the child labor experience we find significant negative impacts on education, and also find a higher probability of wage work for those young adults who worked as children while attending school. We find few significant effects on health. -
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The Impact of Decentralization on Subnational Government Fiscal Slack in Indonesia
( 2009-07) Lewis, Blane D. ; Oosterman, AndreSince Indonesia began implementing its decentralization program in 2001, subnational unspent balances have grown rapidly and have reached levels that many officials find unreasonably high. But the extent to which subnational government reserves are excessive, in general, is not obvious. A not implausible decrease in the price of oil would reduce transfers to subnationals significantly and, if sustained, could possibly eliminate reserves in a relatively short time. Central government should not take any immediate action to reduce subnational slack resources directly but should instead focus on removing the underlying causes of such. -
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Economic Geography and Manufacturing Productivity in Africa : An Analysis of Firm Level Data
( 2009-04) Elbadawi, Ibrahim ; Mengistae, Taye ; Temesge, Tilahun ; Zeufack, AlbertWe compare samples of textiles and garments producers across groups of countries to find that, in general, productivity is far lower in Sub-Saharan Africa than it is in India. Indian manufacturers in turn are significantly less productive than their counterparts in Morocco, while producers in some SSA countries do match or exceed the Indian standard. The paper assesses the importance of geography as a possible factor in these gaps compared to such possible causes as trade policy and the quality of public institutions. It turns out that both institutions and trade policy are strong influences on country productivity averages. However, geography is also as powerful an influence in as far as it affects access to export markets and to input supplies. -
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Evidence of the Role of Marketing Arrangements and Valuation Methods in Improving Beef Quality
( 2009-04) Liu, Yanyan ; Muth, Mary K. ; Koontz, Stephen R. ; Lawrence, John D.Low and inconsistent beef quality has been blamed by some for the losses of beef's share of total meat consumption. Tighter vertical coordination through use of alternative marketing arrangements and more precise price signaling through use of different cattle valuation methods may help improve beef quality because these mechanisms facilitate information exchange enabling producers to respond better to consumer demand. For the congressionally mandated Livestock and Meat Marketing Study, we modeled differences in levels and variances of cattle quality associated with particular marketing arrangements and valuation methods using fed cattle purchase data from 29 large U.S. beef packing plants for October 2002 through March 2005. Results indicate fed cattle procured through marketing agreements and packer ownership had higher and more consistent quality compared to other types of arrangements. Auction market cattle quality was the most inconsistent. Fed cattle valued using carcass weight with a grid were associated with higher and more consistent quality. -
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Pre-Referral Rectal Artesunate to Prevent Death and Disability in Severe Malaria : A Placebo-Controlled Trial
( 2009-02-14) Gomes, M. F. ; Faiz, M. A. ; Gyapong, J. O. ; Warsame, M. ; Agbenyega, T. ; Babiker, A. ; Baiden, F. ; Yunus, E. B. ; Binka, F. ; Clerk, C. ; Folb, P. ; Hassan, R. ; Hossain, M. A. ; Kimbute, O. ; Kitua, A. ; Krishna, S. ; Makasi, C. ; Mensah, N. ; Mrango, Z. ; Olliaro, P. ; Peto, R. ; Peto, T. J. ; Rahman, M. R. ; Ribeiro, I. ; Samad, R. ; White, N. J.BACKGROUND: Most malaria deaths occur in rural areas. Rapid progression from illness to death can be interrupted by prompt, effective medication. Antimalarial treatment cannot rescue terminally ill patients but could be effective if given earlier. If patients who cannot be treated orally are several hours from facilities for injections, rectal artesunate can be given before referral and acts rapidly on parasites. We investigated whether this intervention reduced mortality and permanent disability. METHODS: In Bangladesh, Ghana, and Tanzania, patients with suspected severe malaria who could not be treated orally were allocated randomly to a single artesunate (n=8954) or placebo (n=8872) suppository by taking the next numbered box, then referred to clinics at which injections could be given. Those with antimalarial injections or negative blood smears before randomisation were excluded, leaving 12 068 patients (6072 artesunate, 5996 placebo) for analysis. Primary endpoints were mortality, assessed 7-30 days later, and permanent disability, reassessed periodically. All investigators were masked to group assignment. Analysis was by intention to treat. This study is registered in all three countries, numbers ISRCTN83979018, 46343627, and 76987662. RESULTS: Mortality was 154 of 6072 artesunate versus 177 of 5996 placebo (2.5%vs 3.0%, p=0.1). Two versus 13 (0.03%vs 0.22%, p=0.0020) were permanently disabled; total dead or disabled: 156 versus 190 (2.6%vs 3.2%, p=0.0484). There was no reduction in early mortality (56 vs 51 deaths within 6 h; median 2 h). In patients reaching clinic within 6 h (median 3 h), pre-referral artesunate had no significant effect on death after 6 h or permanent disability (71/4450 [1.6%] vs 82/4426 [1.9%], risk ratio 0.86 [95% CI 0.63-1.18], p=0.35). In patients still not in clinic after more than 6 h, however, half were still not there after more than 15 h, and pre-referral rectal artesunate significantly reduced death or permanent disability (29/1566 [1.9%] vs 57/1519 [3.8%], risk ratio 0.49 [95% CI 0.32-0.77], p=0.0013). INTERPRETATION: If patients with severe malaria cannot be treated orally and access to injections will take several hours, a single inexpensive artesunate suppository at the time of referral substantially reduces the risk of death or permanent disability. FUNDING: UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR); WHO Global Malaria Programme (WHO/GMP); Sall Family Foundation; the European Union (QLRT-2000-01430); the UK Medical Research Council; USAID; Irish Aid; the Karolinska Institute; and the University of Oxford Clinical Trial Service Unit (CTSU). -
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Model Selection in Stochastic Frontier Analysis with an Application to Maize Production in Kenya
( 2009) Liu, Yanyan ; Myers, RobertThis paper shows how to compute the standard errors for partial effects of exogenous firm characteristics influencing firm inefficiency under a range of popular stochastic frontier model specifications. We also develop an R[superscript 2]-type measure to summarize the overall explanatory power of the exogenous factors on firm inefficiency. The paper also applies a recently developed model selection procedure to choose among alternative stochastic frontier specifications using data from household maize production in Kenya. The magnitude of estimated partial effects of exogenous household characteristics on inefficiency turns out to be very sensitive to model specification, and the model selection procedure leads to an unambiguous choice of best model. We propose a bootstrapping procedure to evaluate the size and power of the model selection procedure. The empirical application also provides further evidence on how household characteristics influence technical inefficiency in maize production in developing countries. -
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Corruption and Concession Renegotiations : Evidence from the Water and Transport Sectors in Latin America
( 2009) Guasch, J. Luis ; Straub, StephaneNumerous renegotiations have plagued water and transport concession contracts in Latin America. Using a panel dataset of over 300 concession contracts from Latin America between 1989 and 2000, we show that country-level corruption is a significant determinant of these renegotiations and that the effect of corruption varies depending on the type of renegotiations considered. While a more corrupt environment clearly leads to more firm-led renegotiations, it significantly reduces the incidence of government-led ones. The paper then discusses and tests the likely channels through which these different effects of corruption arise, looking in particular at the interactions between country-level corruption and relevant microeconomic institutions. -
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Methods for Economic Evaluation of a Factorial-Design Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial of a Nutrition Supplement and an Exercise Programme among Healthy Older People Living in Santiago, Chile : The CENEX Study
( 2009) Walker, D. G. ; Aedo, C. ; Albala, C. ; Allen, E. ; Dangour, A. D. ; Elbourne, D. ; Grundy, E. ; Uauy, R.Background: In an effort to promote healthy ageing and preserve health and function, the government of Chile has formulated a package of actions into the Programme for Complementary Food in Older People (Programa de Alimentacion Complementaria para el Adulto Mayor - PACAM). The CENEX study was designed to evaluate the impact, cost and cost-effectiveness of the PACAM and a specially designed exercise programme on pneumonia incidence, walking capacity and body mass index in healthy older people living in low- to medium-socio-economic status areas of Santiago. The purpose of this paper is to describe in detail the methods that will be used to estimate the incremental costs and cost-effectiveness of the interventions. Methods and design: The base-case analysis will adopt a societal perspective, including the direct medical and non-medical costs borne by the government and patients. The cost of the interventions will be calculated by the ingredients approach, in which the total quantities of goods and services actually employed in applying the interventions will be estimated, and multiplied by their respective unit prices. Relevant information on costs of interventions will be obtained mainly from administrative records. The costs borne by patients will be collected via exit and telephone interviews. An annual discount rate of 8% will be used, consistent with the rate recommended by the Government of Chile. All costs will be converted from Chilean Peso to US dollars with the 2007 average period exchange rate of US$1 = 522.37 Chilean Peso. To test the robustness of model results, we will vary the assumptions over a plausible range in sensitivity analyses. Discussion: The protocol described here indicates our intent to conduct an economic evaluation alongside the CENEX study. It provides a detailed and transparent statement of planned data collection methods and analyses. -
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Climate Volatility Deepens Poverty Vulnerability in Developing Countries
( 2009) Ahmed, S. A. ; Diffenbaugh, N. S. ; Hertel, T. W.Extreme climate events could influence poverty by affecting agricultural productivity and raising prices of staple foods that are important to poor households in developing countries. With the frequency and intensity of extreme climate events predicted to change in the future, informed policy design and analysis requires an understanding of which countries and groups are going to be most vulnerable to increasing poverty. Using a novel economic-climate analysis framework, we assess the poverty impacts of climate volatility for seven socio-economic groups in 16 developing countries. We find that extremes under present climate volatility increase poverty across our developing country sample-particularly in Bangladesh, Mexico, Indonesia, and Africa-with urban wage earners the most vulnerable group. We also find that global warming exacerbates poverty vulnerability in many nations. -
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Return to the Sources: Revival of Traditional Nomads' Rights to Common Property Resources in the Code Pastoral of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
( 2009) Wabnitz, H. W.Despite their economic importance, herders are generally neglected both by the governments of African countries and international donors. During the 1990s, nomadic livestock raising accounted for 75 percent of Mauritania's agricultural output, but received only 10 percent of the country's agricultural budget and donor support. In the past, there were few specific regulatory protections of nomadic economic activities. This article analyzes the content and impact of the Code Pastoral (enacted in 2000, effective in 2004) of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. This law is a prime example of adapted, effective legislation. It recognizes the traditional common property regime practiced by nomads on pastoral lands classified as public domain and validates use-rights, a shift from exclusive ownership rights. The law is pragmatic, having been drafted by herders themselves to defend against the increasing encroachment of rangeland by farmers. It builds on traditional rules and Islamic law (sharia). The Code's 46 short articles define the law's objectives, lay down basic principles and rights through legal and customary notions, and provide for realistic, self-executory conflict resolution procedures. Appeal to state tribunals is envisaged as a last resort. The initial results indicate that the Code Pastoral has been a positive development for livestock raising in Mauritania.