Measuring the burden of disease and returns to education in rural West Africa

The success of health economics and its influence on health policy relies on reliable empirical evidence regarding the demographic, economic, and epidemiological landscape, behavioral relationships, and the effects of policy interventions. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the epidemiological situation is often unclear due to the lack of comprehensive mortality and health statistics. Economic analysis emphasizes the relationship between health and economic well-being: as a country becomes wealthier, the overall disease burden decreases, with a decline in communicable diseases and a rise in non-communicable diseases. However, in regions dominated by traditional subsistence farming, examining the links between income and health presents challenges. Accurate measurement of income is essential for empirical investigation, yet both disease burden and income measurement remain inadequately addressed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, the value of investing in education in poor rural areas is uncertain. This study addresses these gaps by providing empirical evidence on disease burden, income structure, and returns to education in rural West Africa, focusing on the Nouna Health District in North-West Burkina Faso. It was accepted as a doctoral thesis at the University of Heidelberg, with earlier chapters published in working papers or international journals.