Deworming and Success

Edward Miguel on Twitter:

Starting in 1998, Michael Kremer and I evaluated a large-scale public health program that provided an additional 2-3 years of medical treatment for intestinal worm infections to tens of thousands of Kenyan primary school children. 

20 years later (!), our newest findings show that the same individuals (now adults) have higher household earnings, spend more on consumption goods, and are more likely to live in urban areas.

For <$0.50 per child per year, the observed gains imply that deworming medication has an enormous social rate of return. This research is a timely reminder that public investments in proven health solutions can have immense payoffs.