Harvard Kennedy School - Growth Lab :: Growth Events :: Health Improvements for Economic Growth

Center for International Development at Harvard University

Harvard Kennedy School | Harvard University

Health Improvements for Economic Growth

Wednesday, 30 May - Thursday, 31 May 2007
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Hosted by the Center for International Development
Supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Conference Overview:

Currently, there exists considerable controversy regarding how important health is as a determinant of economic growth. At one end of the spectrum are those who claim that disease is the most important factor constraining growth in many poor countries, so that a successful intervention to fight disease would produce a large economic benefit. At the other end of the spectrum are those who argue that disease eradication, while hugely valuable in humanitarian terms, has historically had no effect on GDP per capita.

In this high-level, invitation-only session, scholars provided their informed perspectives on the question of how improvements in health translate into economic growth. First, participants presented relevant research papers on the general issue of how health affects economic growth. Second, attendees addressed the concrete scenario of, "Suppose that today, an intensive anti-malarial program was instituted in Zambia so that within two years the incidence of the disease fell to nearly zero. Compare the level of GDP per capita in Zambia twenty years from now under this scenario to the level of GDP per capita that would have been observed if the anti-malarial program had not been instituted."

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