Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/333453 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IRENE Working Paper No. 25-06
Publisher: 
University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Economic Research (IRENE), Neuchâtel
Abstract: 
I combine multiple rounds of geo-coded household survey data with a globally gridded climate dataset to quantify the impact of heat exposure on child disease incidence in sub-Saharan Africa. I construct hour-degree bins of temperature exposure and find that 10 additional hours of exposure to temperatures between 30-35êC in the 14 days preceding the interview increase the probability of fever, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infection by 1.5, 3.0, and 3.5 percentage points, respectively. The effects of heat are more pronounced in urban areas: exposure in the 30-35êC range raises the incidence of fever and acute respiratory infection by an additional 1.0 and 1.8 percentage points, respectively, compared to rural settings. Finally, I further find that the effects are stronger among children of less-educated mothers. These findings show the health risks posed by heat exposure in sub-Saharan Africa, and highlight the unequal burden faced by vulnerable groups.
Subjects: 
Climate change
Temperature
West Africa
Child diseases
JEL: 
I15
O10
Q54
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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