Eradicating the Disease of the Empty Granary: Health, Structural Transformation, and Intergenerational Mobility in West Africa

Although structural transformation – the movement of workers from agriculture into manufacturing and services in cities – is a key component of economic development, its microeconomic foundations are not well-understood. However, recent empirical work has shown that scientific breakthroughs such as genetically engineered soybeans or massive irrigation infrastructure projects can lead to structural transformation by increasing agricultural productivity. Notably, however, these examples relied on developments that are likely beyond the capabilities of many of the lowest-income countries. This project seeks to answer the question: Are there more cost-effective national-level interventions that can increase agricultural productivity and thus accelerate structural transformation in developing economies? The question will be answered through a case study analysis of the (near) eradication of dracunculiasis (Guinea worm disease) in West Africa beginning in 1990.