Question

Analyze Esther Duflo’s social experiments to fight poverty

Answer 1

Dufflo explains how, by using a system of randomized controlled trials,we can take the 'guess work ' out of aid. To make this real, she asks three simple questions and offers three simple solutions : how to immunize children , how to stop malaria, and how to get children into school?

The answers : lentils, bed nets and deworming.

Duflo ran a randomized controlled trial in Udaipur, India so that she would answer the these questions. After setting up three immunization camps,Duflo found that by giving an incentive to go to the campus to immunize their children and by making it easier for them to get there, the rate of full immunization increased from 6% to 38%.The incentive - a kilo of lentils for every child immunized.

Duflo also applied a similar system of randomized controlled trials to the use of bed nets to prevent malaria. The trial she conducted was in Kenya where different discount vouchers were given to people to buy bed nets in their local pharmacy.

The final question Duflo look at is the best way to get children into school, by using the traditional methods such as providing food, scholarships or school uniforms.Duflo also found that in areas where intestinal worms, deworming the children got you an extra 30 years of education .

Results like these are exciting because they show us how a cheap and easy solution such as deworming or bed nets are effective aid measures which significantly contribute to enabling people to reduce poverty in their own communities .