This paper examines the impact of preschool malnutrition on subsequent human capital formation in rural Zimbabwe using a maternal fixed effects - instrumental variables (MFE-IV) estimator with a long term panel data set. Representations of civil war and drought “shocks” are used to identify...

Reducing the incidence of low birth weight not only lowers infant mortality rates but also has multiple benefits over the life cycle. This study estimates the economic benefits of reducing the incidence of low birth weight in low-income countries, both through lower mortality rates and medical...

This study analyzes how childhood health determines future academic performance in the Kagera region in Tanzania. Academic outcomes considered are years of education and delay in enrollment, and the measure of childhood health is height (relative to the median). The repercussions of malnutrition...

This study of the Vaso de Leche ("Glass of Milk") feeding program in Peru looks for evidence that this in-kind transfer program aimed at young children furthers nutritional objectives. The study links public expenditure data with household survey data to substantiate the targeting and to model...

Can self-selection of subsidized commodities be used as a mechanism to transfer income to the poor? Evidence from two self-targeting programs, one in South Africa and one in Tunisia, shows that although self-targeting can clearly improve the distribution of food subsidies to the poorest members...

Over the past decades child stunting in Ethiopia has persisted at alarming rates. While the country experienced several droughts during this period, it also received enormous amounts of food aid, leading some to question the effectiveness of food aid in reducing child malnutrition. Using...