Malaria and Chinese Economic Activities in Africa

We present novel evidence for the influence of the disease environment, in particular malaria exposure, on the geographic location of Chinese economic activities in Africa. Since Chinese infrastructure project contractors rely on Chinese workers, malaria exposure might constitute an important factor for their employment and productivity.

Combining data on Chinese construction projects with geo-localized information about the presence of individuals, the results reveal a lower density of Chinese activities and presence of Chinese workers in areas with a high malaria risk. This effect is mitigated partly through the selection of Chinese workers from regions in China with historically high malaria risk, through the substitution of Chinese workers with local workers with greater immunity, and through the availability of malaria treatment.

Authors: Matteo Cervellati (University of Bologna) Elena Esposito (University of Lausanne) Song Yuan (Warwick University) Uwe Sunde (LMU Munich)

Speaker: Uwe Sunde is professor at LMU Munich, Chair for Population Economics.

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