Malaria and primary education in Mali: a longitudinal study in the village of Donéguébougou.
This article assesses the role of malaria and certain social determinants on primary education, especially on educational achievement in Donéguébougou, a small village in a malaria-endemic area near Bamako, Mali. Field data was collected by the authors between November 2007 and June 2008 on 227 schoolchildren living in Donéguébougou. Various malaria indicators and econometric models were used to explain the variation in cognitive abilities, teachers' evaluation scores, school progression and absences. Malaria is the primary cause of school absences. Fixed-effects estimates showed that asymptomatic malaria and the presence of falciparum malaria parasites had a direct correlation with educational achievement and cognitive performance. The evidence suggests that the correlation is causal.
Thuilliez
Josselin
J
EHESP, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Santé Publique, SHS-Cs, Health Economics, Avenue du Professeur-Leon-Bernard, CS 74312, 35043 Rennes, France. Electronic address: josselinthuilliez@gmail.com.
Sissoko
Mahamadou S
MS
Malaria Research and Training Center, Bamako, Mali.
Toure
Ousmane B
OB
Malaria Research and Training Center, Bamako, Mali.
Kamate
Paul
P
Malaria Research and Training Center, Bamako, Mali.
Berthélemy
Jean-Claude
JC
CES, Université Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne, Paris, France.
Doumbo
Ogobara K
OK
Malaria Research and Training Center, Bamako, Mali.
D000041:Absenteeism; D002648:Child; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008302:Mali; D017059:Models, Econometric; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires