Setting priorities, targeting subsidies among water, sanitation, and preventive health interventions in developing countries

Authors

Dale Whittington
March Jeuland
Kate Barker, Population Council
Yvonne Yuen

Document Type

Article (peer-reviewed)

Publication Date

2012

Abstract

The paper challenges the conventional wisdom that water and sanitation improvements and other preventive health interventions are always a wise economic investment. Costs and benefits are presented for six water, sanitation, and health programs—handwashing, sanitation, point-of-use filtration and chlorination, insecticide-treated bed nets, and cholera vaccination. Model parameters are specified for a range of conditions that are plausible for locations in developing countries. We find that the parameter findings needed for such cost-benefit calculations are not available for setting global priorities. We reflect on the implications of our findings for more “evidence-based” planning of public health and development interventions.

DOI

10.1016/j.worlddev.2012.03.004

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Whittington, Dale, March Jeuland, Kate Barker, and Yvonne Yuen. 2012. "Setting priorities, targeting subsidies among water, sanitation, and preventive health interventions in developing countries," World Development 40(8): 1546–1568.

Project

Population, Environmental Risks, and the Climate Crisis (PERCC)